Toura Golf Irons Build Test: 2024 Forum Review

[GolfSpy_APH]

Calling all club builders! We have a very special testing opportunity for you! For many, it is more than just getting on the course and playing, but honing a craft and taking pride in installing and building each club in your bag. Those who want to customize each part of their golf clubs and make their bag stand out for the efforts they put into the build of their golf clubs.

About Toura Golf

Toura Golf was created out of the passion for golf club building. In search of a blank head with no logo, founder Jon found little to no options. So he decided to take matters into his own hands. He created Toura Golf for those like him who love to build their own golf clubs and have an appreciation for a pure forged product that stands out by not standing out. 

The Canadian company is known for their minimalist designs and producing limited quantities of heads as well as some one of a kind models. With wedges, putters, and full iron heads all available for purchase, Toura Golf is a club builder's dream. 

For those who prefer their clubs pre-built, Toura does offer a selection of shafts and grips in which a complete set can be purchased.

Please welcome and congratulate our testers/builders!

@azstu324 

@David Leighton Reid 

@ctg44 

@JRDuck40

We will also have a community vote for best build with a special badge for the winner! Stay tuned and no you cannot vote for @Josh Parker! haha

[azstu324]

INTRO

Well hello everybody! As is customary, but quite necessary, I’d like to extend an immense thank you to both MyGolfspy, the forum Mods, and Toura golf. When this testing opportunity was announced, I immediately began envisioning what my custom-built set of beautiful Japanese forged irons might look like. The idea of this test immediately captured me entirely. Of course, we all know that these testing opportunities are open game to all active forum members, but honestly, who hasn’t seen the announcement of their favorite (insert equipment here) and thought, “Oh I’d be the perfect candidate for this one”? Well as soon as the announcement was made for the Toura Golf custom iron build test, I couldn’t help myself but send out my most powerful signals to the universe. Just like “The Secret” I manifested that this needed to happen. Apparently frequencies were aligned, signals received, and here we are! Ok, all of the universe mumbo jumbo and corniness aside, I really feel like this opportunity had my name all over it.

Clearly my forum name is about as telling as anything can be. My name’s Stu and I’m from Arizona. 324 is my birth date 3/24. Not a lot of originality there but it flows and is easy to remember. I’ve lived in the state of Arizona for most of my life (30 years). I live here with my little family. We have 2 ridiculously fun and awesome kids, Logan (6) and Kaylen (11), and our oldest child is our cat named Gabby (13) that my wife and I got when we first got married.

I met my wife Amber about 15 years ago and we will be married for 14 years in June. I just turned 45 in March and have worked in the banking industry in sales and finance underwriting for nearly 20 years. I won’t say that it’s a very exciting career, but it pays the bills and allows me to support my addiction (golf).

Speaking of golf, I started playing when I was about 12 years old. I never really took it all that seriously when I was a kid or teenager. I had other hobbies growing up like snowboarding/wakeboarding/skateboarding, dirt bike/quad racing, playing guitar and singing in various bands, Muay Thai, Jiu Jitsu, and various artistic endeavors, that occupied my time and mind space. Quite honestly, up until about 10 years ago, golf was just something that I did when I couldn't do any of those other things. Also, golf equipment up until this time was just something that I either inherited or borrowed. It wasn’t until I stumbled upon MGS and the forum that I really started to find the game and equipment something that actually excited me. To be honest, I was just unaware and quite uninformed of how intricate this sport can be until you peel back the layers and actually start to study. Once I found my way here, my eyes were opened to how complex and diverse the game and equipment are. So many forum members played pivotal parts in my transition into who I am as a golfer, student, and in some instances, a teacher now. That’s an evolution that I’m actually quite proud of. For the past few years, I haven't played a set of clubs, wedges, and even driver that I haven't built and sourced all of the pieces myself. It's extremely gratifying and I don't think I can ever do it any other way. 

A little about my golf game: Like I mentioned, I really haven’t been playing any kind of serious golf prior to about 8 years ago. There’s still a part of me that probably doesn’t take it seriously enough. For instance, I don’t have an established GHIN handicap. I play with a few guys that are low single digits and there’s never a time that I don’t get crap for not being registered.. especially when I beat them. “Well you know technically you didn’t beat us because you’re not official”. This huevo busting has been going on for many years and I’m yet to break down and register. If I were to claim some kind of handicap, I’d say I’m probably about a 7 or 8. Good enough to be dangerous but lots of room left to stay humble and know I can always improve. I wouldn’t say that I have any serious weaknesses on the golf course, but my strengths are far from perfect. That’s about what you’d come to expect from a 7-8 index golfer. Off the tee box, distance has always been on my side but with accuracy at an even 70%. I would say that the main thing keeping me from really having a tight game is that I just can’t play as much as I’d like. I might get out once per week and maybe practice once per week. In 2024 one of my goals is to improve my average score per round and play smarter golf. I need to be OK with the idea that not every par 5 needs to be on the green in 2, and not every par 4 requires a driver. Shot placement needs to be a constant in my mind instead of just crushing the ball. One of the best lessons I ever received was from my grandfather. He told me “It’s not what you do, it’s what you do with it”. Meaning, it doesn’t matter if you can hit a 325 yd drive if you can’t hit your approach within a puttable distance.

Testing Toura Golf clubs

This test definitely has its share of unique challenges. We’re not just testing a set of clubs. We’re giving a perspective of both player and builder. It's easy to receive a club or set of clubs that are pre-built from the factory and then start swinging them. In this review, there are definitely layers. As a club builder, we need to be mindful of specs and tolerances. If components come in and they are out of tolerance from what the manufacturer states, that can impact the build and performance. It makes things more difficult from a build perspective. Things like hosel bore depth and width, lofts, lie angles, head weights, etc, all need to be taken into account and can impact how friendly or difficult the clubs are to build.  

Then there’s the actual playability factor. How do the clubs look, sound, and feel? One of the main things I’ve experienced in past reviews is fit and finish of a club as it came from the factory. This is the X factor in this review because fit and finish is going to rely greatly on our abilities as builders to successfully complete a fully functional and accurately constructed set of clubs. Swing weights, club lengths, final grip playing sizes, etc, are entirely in our hands. What’s completely exciting, but also with a dash of terrifying is that we’ll be demonstrating our proficiency and understanding of these subjects in front of a live audience (you guys).

The clubs that I’ve chosen to review are definitely not foreign territory for me and in fact, historically I’ve performed better with some form of muscle back over any other type of club. I’ve decided to build and review the Muscle Back Version KCM-Cut. I’ve played a good number of blade-style MB’s and am quite comfortable with this profile of club. Is it a club that I should be playing. probably not LOL. But there’s really nothing sexier and more rewarding than flushing a forged blade and sticking the landing. As for the grading component, I definitely want to address both the build and performance aspects. These clubs have absolutely no markings or emblems so they literally are a blank canvas to impose our best skills and most creative work. I’m really expecting great things from these clubs. From the description on the Toura website, these are both forged and finished in Japan from S25C steel. My understanding is that what makes “S25C” is the unique forging and heat treating process that is unique to Japan. Currently I play a set of Maltby TS4 MB’s AND TS3 CB’s made from forged 1025C steel. They feel superb!. Supposedly the S25C is supposed to feel even better and that’s what I’ll definitely be looking for.

Maltby TS3 and TS4 

Ultimately do I think that these clubs are going to improve my game? Absolutely not.. there’s no auto pilot built into these kind of clubs. What I do hope to find is an improved experience in ball striking and playability. Perhaps an extra level of satisfaction and performance when a ball is well-struck. A benefit that I do have that will allow me to become acquainted with the clubs very quickly, is having a home launch monitor setup. It’s a Garmin R10 so not necessarily the best there is, but definitely adequate to get in a good few hundred shots in a very short period of time. Ultimately, what is going to count the most is how these perform on the course. Shot shaping, turf interaction, spin stats on the green, consistent distances, feel, sound, and inspiration at address. My Maltby clubs have all of these boxes checked so Toura definitely has a lot to live up to in order to earn a spot I the rotation.

 

Lets go!!!!!!

 

Unboxing Video

Unboxing photos and write up on the way! 

 

TOURA GOLF UNBOXING EXPERIENCE

So if you found that 12 minutes and 49 seconds of your life could somehow be benefitted by watching my unboxing video, you saw how absolute class their packaging and presentation is. Every iron was not just wrapped, or double wrapped, but triple wrapped in a bubble wrap sleeve, a nice Toura branded pouch, and then finally a black sealed bubble wrap bag. Each pouch came with a drawstring and a Toura branded card attached. The shafts were also wrapped in the standard plastic sheath but with a Toura logo screened on. Even the ferrules traveled first class in their own sealed bubble wrap baggie. Some others in the group unfortunately received their boxes hoping that the inside didn’t look like the outside. My boxes on the other hand were apparently more lucky in their journey from the Great White North. They showed up in perfect condition.

With all of the precautions that Toura takes in ensuring that your clubs reach their destination without a scratch, it definitely pays off in the end. Every club head arrived in pristine shape. One thing that I really appreciate from an artisan and artistic standpoint is that while each club is perfectly finished, you can tell that these are finished by hand. You don’t notice until you really look closely but you can actually see some light buffing marks in certain areas of the club. I appreciate this aspect so much.

One thing that really stands out to me besides how stunning these are, is that these are BLADES in every sense of the world. I’ve played some small heads before in the Callaway RAZR X MB’s and the Cleveland Tour TA1 irons and I might have to say that these make them look like shovels. It’s not often that I feel intimidated by any golf equipment and I might have to admit that these things scare me just a little.. The only other club that I might be able to reference for comparison is the Cobra RF MB’s. Yeah.. they’re that kind of intimidating.

Overall I really want to commend Toura on providing a world class presentation and unboxing experience. Especially during a time when companies are trying to cut every corner imaginable. Honestly these heads could have showed up in a shoebox with tissue paper and I would say that based on craftsmanship alone, they’d be worth the price.. but they showed up in a way as to say “thank you for admiring and honoring our craftsmanship”. That’s pretty dang cool.

Over the next week or so, we’ll all be embarking on our individual build journeys. We’re all just so freaking excited to do this and also to present a review in a way that I don’t think MGS has done in the past. Each of us will be presenting our own versions of how a club is built. Many more videos and pics are on the way so stay tuned!

 

Rust Oxide Bluing 

Here's an update of my progress so far

I was able to get all of the heads "blued". In reality the color is more of a dark copper bronze. In certain light they look black and other light, you can definitely see a hue of brown or bronze. Definitely not hating the outcome. 

I'm contemplating if I should keep the theme of copper paint fill or go with silver for the club # to tie in with the ferrule. I do plan to add just a touch of copper to the ferrules and then gloss coat them for protection. How and what I'll be adding .. That's yet to be determined. 

I have decided to keep the Spy loft # unpainted. I think it would add too much extra paint and also gives a more sealth undertone to that homage part. Kind of like a serial # or secret code name kind of vibe. 

Hopefully I'll have the badges and club #s painted and ready to start the build by Monday. 

Checking in Wed May 15th

I've gotten most of the set built out. As you will see, I've opted not to go with the copper paint fill for the MGS badge. I've settled on a little more subtle look that I think looks pretty killer. It's more of a bronze patina vibe. I think it still makes the badge pop but without saying "I need extra attention" . 

I do still need to paint in the Spy loft #'s and I'm also doing that in gloss black. I hope to have those all finished in the next day or so. I can't hit the clubs until Saturday evening at the latest due to my less than favorable work schedule so I've got time to make sure all of the paint is cured to its max. 

Necessities for club building video!!

 

Here's the video covering the complete build of the PW

 

Edited July 19 by azstu324

[azstu324]

First Impressions (20 out of 20)

Anybody who’s been following this testing knows that the initial impression and unboxing experience of the Toura iron components was absolutely A++. Luckily for me, my boxes arrived in nearly mint condition on their voyage from their homeland north of the boarder (Canada). Not one single detail was spared in ensuring that each component arrived in pristine condition. Every head was individually wrapped and blanketed in a sleek Toura branded pouch, the shafts had individual Toura-branded sleeves, and even the ferrules traveled in style in their own custom pouch.

As you can see, the heads just look stunning. One thing that I found to be an extra exciting bonus was that these particular heads were sourced from a company that I’ve known about for quite some time. That company is called Kyoei Golf in Ichikawa Japan. Their irons have stood at the pinnacle of what I believe to be some of the best-looking clubs ever produced in the industry. This particular model was finished to Toura’s preferences from their KCM Heritage blade. For those unfamiliar with Kyoei, if you were to buy from them directly or from one of their distributors, you’d easily be looking at a $2,000++ set of irons depending on the final finish and customization options. Thanks to Toura Golf, they’ve figured out a way to bring the same set of clubs to more folks at less than half the cost and I think that’s pretty flippin awesome! If you were to think of the top 5 most prestigious Japanese golf club foundries and companies, Kyoei is right in the mix of that group, and Toura Golf’s initial presentation clearly makes the statement that you’re truly receiving something very special.

KYOEI ORIGIN STORY

Kyoei Heritage Blade 

Toura KCM-Cut 

From the description on the Toura Golf website, a functional part of the design of this model is more mass pushed slightly towards the toe. If you’re like me, and have a tendency to hit more on the toe-side of center, these are going to be your cup of tea. I’ll address the functionality of this design later in the performance part of the review but just know that while these have razor thin top lines and very narrow soles, they are much easier to play than they appear. 
 

LOOKS/SOUND/FEEL (10 out of 10) 

Looks

As previously mentioned, these heads are just absolutely stunning in every sense. The top line is fairly thin and these are undoubtedly player’s blades.

4 iron at address 

As you can see from the picture of the original Koyei mold, the lines of the KCM-cut are a little softer and refined but very traditional and simple. The blade length isn’t so insanely short as to feel like you’re trying to hit a ball with a paperclip at the end of a stick, but it’s still compact. I’d say it’s just the right size to help you feel like you’ve got something adequate enough to work with in this profile.

Sole comparison of the Toura MB and Maltby TS3

The actual shape of the head to me is a little different than what I’ve been used to with other blades. The high side of the toe is a little more rounded and pulled back and that’s visible at address but it’s not anything that sets me off in any way. also because of the size of the blade, the toe appears quite round, and almost appears like a perfect half-circle. It’s possible that it could be a finishing request by Toura as the original Kyoei blades are more squared off and upright in that high-toe section. I’m not really sure if there’s any specific design purpose behind that or if it’s just something that Toura did to separate itself from its big brother i.e. “little brother syndrome” lol. The sole of the club is as fairly thin and has a very subtle scooped out section adjacent to the leading edge that traditionally helps with turf interaction. This design has is pretty characteristic in Japanese designed club heads and I really like it. Overall though, the movement through all types of turf has been absolutely perfection with these clubs. For reference, I’m neither a deep digger or a sweeper but I’d say I’m right in between. I do take a divot on most shots but it’s rather thin and not a chunk of sod. The Toura MB's seem to glide right through most turf effortlessly. 

Maltby TS3 at address

Toura KCM-Cut MB at address

Sole grind for turf interaction relief

As far as any badging or superficial aesthetics, these clubs truly stand on their own. As you are able to see, we all received the “blank” models. The ONLY thing printed on these clubs were the club # and “Made in Japan” on the hosel. Whatever branding or non-branding ended up on the clubs, was completely up to us. For the sake of this testing, I had learned the process of electro-etching. This is a process that involves an electrical current, an electrolyte solution (water, table salt, vinegar, and baking soda), and a stencil. With the current running through the club head, and the electrolyte solution being passed over the negative areas of the stencil, this allows for the metal to slowly be etched away.  With this process I was able to put the MGS spy symbol on the toe of each club. The process is extremely easy and these clubs being a soft S25 Carbon steel with a raw finish, they took the etching very well. Additionally, I decided to add another little nod to MGS and the loft # on the inside of the hosel, and using a font similar to the original Spy vs Spy comics from the 60’s. Had I purchased these on my own, I may have created my own personal logo or emblem but most definitely would have added something to make these 1/1. That’s a very rewarding bonus of having a set of completely blank irons like these. Another fun and inclusive part of this process was that I got to ask the forum readers which part of the club head would get the “Spy” emblem. It was decided by majority that it looked best on the lower toe section of the muscle. I couldn’t be happier with how this turned out and want to thank everybody for their input!

Original blanks 

Etching process

Here is a tutorial thread that I posted covering the etching process

 

Sound/Feel

I’m combining these into 1 category as I really believe that they are synonymous with each other. Some times we perceive the feel of a club through how the club sounds at impact. I would categorize the sound and feel of the Toura KCM-Cut as some of the best that you can currently get your hands on. It’s that sweet swoosh and mild feeling bounce off the face as if you barely even hit a ball. It’s then the visual of a perfectly compressed ball flying with a sky-piercing trajectory that completes the transaction. These things are NICE! It’s a feeling that you just long to repeat over and over, and after a good round continue to daydream about with an incognizant goofy smile on your face. These undoubtedly belong in the same conversation as Mizuno, Miura, Epon (Endo), and any other highly revered Japanese forged brands. Being that these particular clubs are forged and finished by Kyoei, there is a deep-rooted tradition and history engrained in their process, foundry, and craftsmen. Knowing that these clubs were precisely crafted by hand in such a traditional manner gives them a presence as if they had a soul and aren’t just a high production factory cookie-cut club. I love that!

Off-Center Hits

This is an area that actually surprised me with these clubs. When you see them in person, you’d expect the sweet spot to be the size of a shirt button. My normal miss is either low and thin or toe-side of the equator. When I’m really off, it’s full toe shots but those days are getting further behind me as I’m improving my game. I’m not sure if the sweet spot of these actually caters to my typical misses or if it’s just much bigger than perceived, but I really haven’t had any majorly missed shots with these. Sure I’ve hit some off the toe and thin, but the results were much better than I’d expected on quite a few occasions. If I were to guess, I’d say that lower toe-side mass is a big contributing factor. If you’re a decent ball striker and want a pure blade with some decent forgiveness designed into the club, these would be your dance partner.

The Numbers (8 out of 10)

Before I had a chance to take these out to the course, I was able to get in a few good sessions with the Garmin R10. The R10 is ok for a home budget LM but it’s definitely got its flaws. Typically back spin, trajectory, and distance are fairly accurate. The one problem it has is reading side spin. It reads the angle of the club face at “perceived” impact and then calculates what it thinks the number and shape would be. Needless to say, I didn’t really gather too much number data but did definitely get some good live course info.

One of the big questions that is on everyone’s mind when playing with a new set of clubs is distance. For me, I’m not so much concerned with hitting the ball far but knowing my gapping and distance consistency. I know all of my #’s very well with my current game set (Maltby TS3’s). Being that the lofts are 2* stronger in my Maltbys, and the Maltbys are a little more “techy” with lighter (115g) shafts, I assumed that my distances would be much shorter with the Touras. Well to my pleasant surprise, according to the Garmin, my distances were nearly the same. I’d say roughly 2-5 yds shorter per club and that’s definitely manageable when transitioning between sets. Also, my disbursement on the Garmin appeared to be a little tighter with the Touras than the Maltbys which was another surprise. Keep in mind that this is not real data but simulated.

On the course

This is where things kind changed from what I saw at home. Not in a bad way but the Garmin R10 was just slightly misleading in how it reads shot disbursement from both clubs. These definitely aren’t a set that you can just roll up to the first tee without some kind of warm up beforehand. The Maltbys are just silly forgiving for being a player’s-style CB and they’re really easy to just fall into good shots right from the get go. With the Toura MB’s, you really need to get the engine warm and get a nice consistent groove going before game time or else you might find yourself spending the first few holes trying to reel things in. That said, it doesn’t take much to find a consistent connection with these. The weighting is really nice between clubs and it’s not hard to find your tempo.

Something to note is that the shafts that I put in the Malbys (Royal Precision FCM Rifles) are flighted so half the set is a little more penetrating of a flight until you get to about the 6i and then you get a little more lift. The Touras with the True Temper DG X100’s are a little higher flying which I did not expect. They’re still a really nice flight but just a hair more floaty. That may be the reason that the distances aren’t too dissimilar.

Another factor that really matters is ball control and stopping spin in the shorter irons. With my Maltbys, starting with my 6 iron, I’d expect about a 10-15’ gap between the pitch and where the ball stops on most budget-friendly hard pan AZ courses. I’d expect the gap to close by 1-2’ with every club. I know that’s not too technical, but it’s how I manage my shots and so far it’s worked pretty well. With the Touras I’m seeing about the same stopping power with each club and it’s very consistent, so again, another plus for the Touras. for those interested in the #'s, my typical PW spins around 9200 rpms. My spin gapping is roughly about 500-600 difference per club. One thing that I was a little unsure of with the Touras was the consistency in spin and disbursement being that the faces are ground and the grooves pressed. At least I didn’t find any information referencing milling of the face or grooves. The Maltbys are milled faces and grooves so in theory, they would be more consistent but I didn’t notice any wavering inconsistencies with the Touras. Performance overall has met every expectation that I could have.

Maltby milled face and grooves

Toura ground face and pressed grooves

Accuracy and Control

As you might presume, these clubs are as accurate as you make them. Every shot needs to be made with an intention to do something specific. You really need to know your game, and by that, I mean know whether your stock shot is a high/low fade or draw. There will be some movement to the ball on every shot due to how these are designed. The terms “point and shoot” or “autopilot” don’t really apply to a player’s blade like this so I’m not going to spend much time talking about how easy and forgiving they are. There’s no safety net to fall back on when you find yourself getting lazy. I’ll reiterate that these really are wonderful and quite easy to hit and are plenty forgiving for what they are, BUT also require laser focus and a game plan with each and every shot or you’ll be living in the weeds.

On-Course (18 out of 20)

I was able to get in a good 8 or so rounds with these. As you all know, I live here in Arizona and our typical dry HOT summer is starting to rear its very ugly head. Moisture and rain are things that we only dream of here so I didn’t get much experience hitting from damp surfaces. We did however take a little trip to our home away from home in Monterey, CA. I was able to get in a couple of rounds and put these to the ultimate test in the flight control department and at least see how well they can hold a green on more of a lush landing pad. I found that flighting the ball when hitting into a headwind was extremely easy and I didn’t find myself over pulling my shots which I’ve done in the past when trying to stay low. My GIR count unfortunately was not very good but I’m not blaming the clubs. On the peninsula, wind blows in every direction at a steady 20-30 mph. While I didn’t find myself hitting as many greens as I’m used to, none of my shots were really that errant. Most of the misses were 5-10 feet off the green and pin high so my distances were definitely consistent and dependable.

Pacific Grove Golf links is definitely a "F around and find out" kind of course. Out of about 10 rounds that I've played here, I shot my best score with the Touras (78)

What’s amazed me with these Toura MB’s is that I’m not coming away from rounds with a score much different than what I would shoot with my Maltbys. I didn’t request the MB’s thinking that they would improve my game though. I chose them because I love to test myself. I also want a set that that I can take out every other round and know that I’m not risking severe punishment and wasting a round of golf by making a poor club set decision. Quite honestly, I didn’t sign up for this test looking for clubs to replace my current set. I love my Maltby TS3’s and don’t want to replace them. I do however think that alternating rounds and practicing with a set of clubs like the Toura MB’s will help make me a more well-rounded player. Also, it's nice to be able to pick a set of clubs for the course I’m playing, and there will undoubtedly be plenty of rounds perfectly fit for the Touras. My goal in 2024-25 is to consistently shoot in the low 70’s as a low single digit player would expect to do. I like cars and enjoy a good analogy. Everyone who owns a manual Porsche GT3 needs to also have a good, dependable automatic daily driver. Driving a manual all the time can wear on you. Sometimes you just want to take things easy and have stress-free fun. I think with these 2 sets, I truly have the best of both worlds and plan to play them equally moving forward.

The Good, the bad, the inbetween (20 out of 20)

Lets start with the bad.. there really isn’t any. Honestly I can’t think of 1 thing that I don’t like about these blades and Toura Golf as a brand. They’re the perfect size, they’re absolutely stunning with traditional lines and looks. They feel absolutely superb and play like a dream if this style of club is what you’re interested in. From the unboxing, to the build, to the performance, Toura Golf delivers on all levels and they’re truly a company worth highly considering for your next set.

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

Play it! I’ll be keeping these clubs forever. Even if my game slips to the point where I can’t use these effectively (let’s hope that doesn’t happen), these are 1/1 for me and can't be replicated in any way. 

Conclusion

Kyoei forged and finished the clubs for Toura golf, but I created what they are. That’s exactly the experience that Toura Golf is providing by offering these beautiful blank raw heads. Just like the first strike of the forge hammer on the glowing amber carbon steel imparts the soul and life into the golf club head, I too have put a piece of my soul into these clubs and sincerely want to thank Toura Golf for this amazing experience! 

 

Edited June 30 by azstu324

[ctg44]

Introduction:

Good morning everyone:

 

To say I am excited to be a part of this test build and review process is indeed an understatement.  I am married to a very amazing and patient woman who tolerates me being a golf and hockey nut and still plays on a coed adult rec ice hockey team herself.  We are parents of 2 grown young men:  A 24-year-old who graduated college early and is approaching his 2nd anniversary of working in the cybersecurity field after joining the Army National Guard, and a 19-year-old who is doing what is most easily described as a paid internship / trade school program through USA Hockey to become a professional ice hockey official.  After years mostly concentrating on playing, coaching, and (eventually) officiating ice hockey (crazy how much of it there is here in the Dallas area), I got back into golf hardcore when our younger son joined the junior high team in 7th grade (about 7 years ago now), and have gone from shooting in the 90s back to shooting in the low 80s (and on a few occasions, even in the 70s when I've been playing and practicing often enough).  We belong to the local country club where my son's high school team practiced before he graduated last year.  While he had taken the year off of competitive golf because he was too busy as the captain of his varsity hockey team and working a ton every week as a hockey official, we still tried to get out and play when we could together.  I try to play at least twice a week, once for at least 9 holes on my own after work and once for 18 on the weekend with my wife and, if he's in town, our younger son.  I work in an environment that can go from boring to very stressful in a heartbeat, and all things golf help with relieving that stress, whether it's building out a set of irons, practicing in a simulator because it's rained 4 out of the last 5 days, or actually getting to play on the course.

 

When my kids were growing up, I was known as their teams' "equipment manager" because if something broke or someone needed a skate sharpened or fixed, I was the person to at least ask what needed to be done so their parent (who generally had no idea at all about gear) could properly get it fixed.  I was also the "go-to" for helping my kids' teammates, along with teammates on the adult team my wife and I played on find the right size skates and other gear.  Thus, it's not surprising that when I started playing golf again, tinkering with my gear came naturally.  I started by replacing my own grips a few times, and once that became second nature, I'm not sure I've had a shop change a grip out in 4-5 years.  I graduated into using secondhand marketplaces like eBay, etc., to find good used gear as I had with hockey to be able to fill out our bags for less than going to retail, but sometimes, those clubs would need a reshaft, or a ferrule would have crept up, and I eventually started to experiment with pulling those steel shafts and rebuilding the clubs myself to save money.  I bought a shaft extractor and now have rebuilt several sets of irons for my wife and me. While I know I don't have the same skill sets that some of the other builders in this review group might have, my club builds have been durable and performed well for us over the past couple of years. I hope to show that building your own clubs can be an economical way for golfers to get better gear and very reasonable prices if you are willing to take the time and put in the effort.  

 

I am really looking forward to having the MGS family along for the ride in this build process, and to that end, I'm incorporating everyone into my build process.  Since I can't decide exactly which ferrules I want to use, I'm running a poll to get your feedback on what you think would look the best.  I chose the Toura Golf (Blank) JCB-Cut Japan Forged CB in the pure raw finish because I'm kind of a nut for raw finishes and can't wait to see how these patina over the testing period.  I created a Google Form to collect your votes.  Please share your MGS Forum username in the first answer and if you decide to share a different option, please ensure the link is safe for viewing at work.

https://bit.ly/MGSTCBCTG44FerrulePoll

 

 

First Impressions and "Unboxing" Video (10/10):

 

So, I used the camera you can see in the video there, and it was recording, and I walked over to start doing my unboxing, thinking I was good because I'd just done a test video on prepping an iron head for a rebuild:

Well, as mentioned in the video, the SLR did not record, so I had to adjust my plans and use my phone.  Here are a few key takeaways from my unboxing that were not captured on the actual video:

• The 5 iron has a tiny little tool mark on it that is a sign of hand finishing.  It's not anything that would affect playability, but it's noticeable in the right light.  I can't find it in any of the pictures of the club, so it's not THAT noticeable, and I'll likely never see it once it's at address.
• Speaking of address...these have more offset than I would have guess from the page online, but Toura says they have 1.3 mm of offset in the PW, which is less than the 2020 P7MCs (1.5 mm - See here:  https://www.taylormadegolf.com/P7MC-Irons/DW-TA156.html?lang=en_US) I'm currently gaming, so maybe it's an optical illusion.
• The clubs are SO clean.  I thought there was a little imperfection in the 4 iron's grooves, but it was really a piece of packaging that had gotten stuck in there.  
• I am coming back and adding in the specs on these irons from the Toura Site here:
  • Process: Forged and finished in Japan

  • Material: S25C (soft carbon steel)

  • Finish: Pure Raw (what I ordered - but now out of stock, so I presume that's what I got --->) or Satin Polish Chrome (what I received).   <-- I started to finally notice some patina happening the other day, and the Toura team confirmed the following about how the Pure Raw irons are shipped so that customers get the irons in an unblemished and perfect condition upon arrival.  This almost makes me want to break the scoring rubric and give these guys an 11 / 10!  Here's the details from @Toura Golf on their process:

    "The raw heads are buffed/polished when finished and we then store them in an anti-rusting powder on our end to keep them in perfect condition before they are ordered. So, they should arrive nearly flawless but of course over time you will see them patina."
  • Update:  As of 06-05, these have an absolutely gorgeous (at least to me) rusty patina.  They are indeed, pure raw irons in every sense of the word!

  • Loft: 4 - 24° / 5 - 27° / 6 - 30° / 7 - 34° / 8 - 38° / 9 - 42° / PW - 46°

  • Lie: 4 - 60° / 5 - 60.5° / 6 - 61° / 7 - 61.5° / 8 - 62° / 9 - 62.5° / PW - 63°

• Overall score on packing, first impressions, and the parts Toura sent = 10 / 10.  These are outrageously beautiful CB irons! 

 

I'm making it available now for your viewing pleasure, but I will sort through this huge gallery of pictures tonight after I return from working a couple of games as an ice hockey official.  I have to support my golf addiction somehow because my main job pays the regular bills, and my amazing wife tolerates my golf spending because I work hard for the extra cash.

 

https://photos.app.goo.gl/f2LnqsSqQd2hZABYA

 

I know that's a little bit overkill, but I tried to capture every possible angle of the clubs, and used an old shaft to give a good perspective of the offset and view looking down at the top line.  I'll obviously take a lot more pictures and some better video during the build process that will start tomorrow.

PS:  My build site (AKA garage) security guard, Jager, says "HI EVERYONE!!!!" Anyone with a GSD / Husky (and he's exactly 50/50 of high-level purebred versions of each) knows you don't go anywhere without a shadow.  Mine just happens to be white and very well-behaved most of the time, fortunately.

Some additional Saturday morning thoughts on the Toura irons from the Unboxing / First Impressions point of view before I begin the build process:

• While I was pretty effusive in my praise for the packaging process used by Toura, I can't help but restate in writing how much it meant that the irons got here in absolutely perfect condition.  The box was given the typical USPS horror show treatment that makes Spirit airlines baggage handlers looking like they're taking care of the crown jewels.  I'm not sure if Jager had gotten a hold of the box for an hour he could have done more damage to it than the USPS did during shipping, and yet the irons were...perfect.  Yes, at $800 for heads only the Toura irons are not "cheap," but as first impressions go, this is a "get what you paid for" type situation.  
• My original request was for the Raw Carbon Steel version of these irons.  I see they are out of stock on the Toura shopping site, which is likely why Toura shipped me the Chrome Satin versions.  You can trust me when I say there is zero disappointment when looking at these iron heads.  While I am a raw club junky and even "rawed" some wedges a while back that my son is now fully in love with being in his bag, these are just too beautiful to complain about!  See above for an update from Toura on the Pure Raw process and why I was wrong on this so any future consumers aren't confused when receiving their CB irons!
• I guess if I did have any complaint, it would be that if I were buying these from Toura and wanting them to build them, the shaft option is the regular True Temper DG X100 shaft, rather than the premium option of the Tour Issue X100 shaft.  I know that's a $25-30 upcharge item and wouldn't expect that as part of test build, but I'd like that option if I were buying a set of premium custom irons.
• I obviously won't be able to really compare the offset, and how the clubs play until after I build them, but in direct head to head (no pun intended) comparisons with the spare 6 iron and PW heads from my 2020 P7MC set, these look to be right around the same or maybe a little less than the Taylormades, which tracks based on listed specs.
• I don't know if the Toura Grips will stay on the clubs long term, especially if the clubs stay in my bag, but I am fully committed to trying them despite not normally being a Lamkin Crossline grip fan (which these very closely resemble in style and feel from first looks / touches). 
  • Update (05-12-2024):  After more investigating (i.e. looking at every grip in the store the other day), I have confirmed the stock Toura grips are 100% for sure custom versions of the Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 (also Standard) grips.  These are simply too slick for my hands to keep a grip on them when I start to get sweaty in the high heat and humidity here in North Texas.  I am updating the post to show I was incorrect at first and that the Toura grips are not the Lamkin Crossline grips.  However, to be fair, both those and the GP Tour Velvet 360 options are almost identical.  I'm including links to Golf Galaxy not as a promotion of them over any other particular retailer, but rather because they seem to be the only ones selling the ZGRIP Plus2s with any reliable amount of stock that I can find.
• The one area of club building I've never really explored is "turning" of ferrules, and it appears that might be necessary from my initial dry fit test of these irons with the BB&F Albatross ferrules I sourced to be able to have enough to make my irons and wedges match.  The hosels on the irons are <just> slightly smaller than the ferrule, so I will have to figure out a solution to that without having access to a belt sander.  More research will definitely be necessary, and that might be a "post-build" scenario where I get the clubs all built and grips installed to get through the launch monitor testing this weekend and come back next weekend and make the ferrule improvements.  Lots to think about, but if anyone has any ideas on how I can best do this part without a belt sander and without a ton of experience in doing anything with ferrules post installation, I'm open to links to posts / videos for ideas.
• That's all for now.  I'm going to head out and finish rebuilding my MG4 wedges that I'd initially reshafted upon arrival, but did so in a massive hurry because I wanted them cured for the next morning before I played and for the following week when I was traveling for work and taking my clubs.  They were done decently, but 1 shaft wasn't in all the way straight, and 1 ferrule was not seated all the way, so I am taking this opportunity to rebuild them with the same BB&F Ferrules that will be going on my Toura build.

MUCH more to come!!! 

Here's a recap of what I've done with the Toura Build so far (just 1 club), and what my plans are for the upcoming week.

05-04-2024: 

• Part 1 of the build process was to get the Toura CB PW put together tonight so I could use that in the Simulator at the local PGA Superstore tomorrow and test it against my normal PW, which is a 48° Taylormade MG4 wedge and the PW from my 2020 P7MC iron set.  I have the X100 Tour Issue shaft from my iron set in the 48° MG4, and the DG X100 Toura sent me in their Toura CB PW. 
• I did not have another x-stiff (or 6.5 flex in Project X) steel shaft here, but I did have an MMT125 TX shaft left over that was in an Edison 45° wedge that I pulled apart and used to rebuild the set PW from the P7MCs to have for testing.  I wasn't a huge fan of the MMT125TX shafts when I had them in my Mizuno Pro 223 irons, but maybe that was because I was REALLY tired of the MP223s at that point being impossible to hit anywhere but hard left without leaving myself susceptible to the shanks...long story for another day folks! I built the P7MC PW with one of the Toura Black / White / Silver ferrules they shipped me and it was just as nice as the BB&F ferrules I have used so far on my other wedges.  I mentioned in my first impressions video I thought the Toura ferrules felt like they were very high quality, and that's borne out in using one to build out a club.
• Here are some pictures of the P7MC, MG4 48°, and the Toura CB PW side by side:
  • https://photos.app.goo.gl/qn8tJkoyuV2sF6WJ8
  • https://photos.app.goo.gl/EwPjmFtctfxid4WF9
  • https://photos.app.goo.gl/yw4kp5LhnQ6TuvhS7 <-- I can already tell I'm not going to be a fan of the Toura grips for the same reason I don't like the Lamkin Crossline...I simply can NOT get them to go on straight and line up properly...look at how wavy those lines are...uggh!
  •  
• I'll get the video of the Toura CB PW and the bonus footage of the rebuild of the P7MC onto the MMT125TX uploaded to YouTube and shared here as soon as possible.  That's probably going to be tomorrow morning, though (which is actually today since it's already 12:05 AM CDT here in Texas).  I'm not sure when the video will be available (it will probably be after 02:00 AM CDT), but here's the link for when it is:   https://youtu.be/DPDy1RenvRc

05-05-2024:

• My plans were to take my wife to try out some women-oriented irons in the late morning at a golf store in the Dallas area that has a ton of good options for her. 
• After hitting everything they had that was long enough for her, we decided to take advantage of Club Champion's iron fitting discount ($50) and schedule one for her next week (05-11). 

I figure after my initial testing of the Toura irons, the P7MCs are probably going to get resold.  Along with those, her irons, and a few other things already on eBay, I should get pretty close to enough for some new sticks for a late Mother's Day present.  Keeping her happier when she's on the course means she'll play more on the weekends, which means I get to play more without worrying about her being grumpy because I'm either gone officiating hockey games or playing golf all weekend...

• I then booked an hour of simulator time to get some testing done in the early afternoon at the local PGA Superstore while my wife did school work to prepare for her upcoming week of reviews and testing.  She's an advanced academics teacher at a local HS and is at the end of her 27th school year with most of that spent teaching an AP tested subject.
• I built out the rest of the irons in the morning, and once everything had cured, I put the grips on in the evening. Later in the week, I'll work on the videos and some step-by-step documentation of the processes I use.
• I spent about 80 minutes in the afternoon testing the Toura PW against my 48° MG4 wedge and the set PW from my P7MCs, which I rebuilt using a spare MMT125TX shaft I had.
  •  Here's a link to my later post in this thread with the data from this testing session (to avoid cluttering up this thread with the same information): 

A quick preview for those who have not made it to page 6 of this thread yet (listed above as a link): The Toura PW can be deadly accurate! 

• While it's only an artificial surface, the "turf" interaction feels significantly better than the MG4 or the stock PW from my P7MC set.  I can't wait to put this on real grass, though since it won't stop raining here in Dallas / Fort Worth, that could be a while.
• Feel....Mizuno says nothing feels like one.  Well, I owned a set of Mizuno Pro 223 irons, have hit a couple of different people's 221s and prior year Mizuno blade and CB options, and I am sorry to report to all of the Mizuno fans that crown is not yours.  A low to zero technology (i.e. no tungsten or hollow-cavities) hand-forged CB iron that A) wasn't fitted to me, B) I built myself in my garage with my own 2 hands, C) has not been adjusted for loft or lie even though I'm 6'4" and 220, and D) has a grip on it that I'm not really a fan of feels like it was made for me by the world's best club-fitter.  
• I will go ahead and rate the 1st impression of the clubs for performance on the numbers as a 10/10. 
  • I hit plenty of PW shots on this occasion, and all of them were AT LEAST as good with/ the Toura as anything I hit with the P7MC (on an MMT125TX shaft, so not a perfect comparison). Most were noticeably better than the ones I hit with my 48° MG4 wedge. 
  • I've been playing with the 48° MG4 wedge for about 1.5 months.  It's been in the bag for 1 practice session and 1 round longer than the P7MC irons I have.  I actually had never hit the stock P7MC PW before yesterday because it was pulled from the head for me to use the X100 shaft that it came with for the 48° MG4 wedge immediately upon the arrival of the set of 2020 P7MC irons to my house.
  • Now, the Toura is a 46° PW compared to the 48° MG4 wedge, so it was interesting to see the launch, spin, and ball speed numbers be what they were.  I will say that I've not had the 48° MG4 wedge checked for loft / lie since receiving it VERY slightly used, so maybe it's off a little from its original specs as well.
  • Future club plans:
    • No, I haven't gone through the full set of irons yet, but I'm pretty well-versed in playing around with sets of clubs at Golf Galaxy, PGA Superstore, etc., and knowing when I do or don't like something.  In fact, that's exactly how I knew that I'd absolutely love a set of the P7MCs riding on a set of X100 Tour Issue shafts after less than 30 minutes of simulator time hitting a used set at GG one Friday night when my wife was out of town.  I found an even cheaper used set on Facebook Marketplace in better condition and have loved the effect on my game compared to the shank-fest my approach game was trending towards with the Mizunos...I got really tired of yelling, "Fore left!!!" with those.
    • Thus, I fully expect the Toura irons to be my main set going forward, the P7MCs to be resold to fund my wife's new set of irons, and lots of looks to be coming my way as people see these beauties in my bag at the country club...if you know, it ever stops raining so the range can reopen!
    • However, I do expect that I'm going to need to run a gap analysis, maybe with a pro / fitter, on my bag once I move to the Toura irons.  It will remain to be seen where the gaps end up at the bottom of the bag with the current wedges I have (MG4:  52.09SB / 56.12SB / 60.07LBV on Tour Issue X100 Onyx shafts) and at the top of the bag with my hybrid (Titleist TS2) and 3W (Callaway Triple Diamond 15°).
    • Most likely, I'm betting I find the Toura Irons will be 2-5 yards shorter than the P7MCs, but if the testing w/ the PW is any indication, my accuracy will be improved.  I will give up a few yards for better dispersion / control.  However, at the top of the bag, that's probably going to require swapping that balky hybrid I don't hit well for something I do.  So far, I'm trending towards a P790 UDI 2 iron or 3 iron, probably w/ an X100 steel shaft. 
    • Let's just say that if Toura made a driving iron, it would already be on order...

05-06-2024:  

• I have another hour of simulator time booked to get some testing done after work at the local PGA Superstore, this time with the remainder of the Toura CB irons versus my P7MC irons.  I hope to have my 18-year-old son hit both sets of clubs as well.  For reference, his clubs are Callaway Apex TCBs with Nippon Modus 130X shafts. 
• My son is basically a full-time ice hockey official, even in the off-season from his assigned primary league, the North American Hockey League, so he picked up games to help pay for the Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond 5W he bought Sunday that he was hitting a mere 265+.  Totally not fair, right?  Oh, to be young and have 115 ball speed with a 5W, right?!?!
• I hit a LOT of shots tonight, so there's a lot to parse from this session.  
• The collection of all of this data and putting it into a useful format will take a couple of days, so I would expect that my next update after tomorrow will not come until Wednesday or Thursday of this week unless I get rained out of my normal Tuesday or Wednesday afternoon post-work 9 hole round.  If that's the case, I'll come home and finish up the documentation on the simulator testing and make sure I'm ready for some on-course testing in the coming weeks.
• Quick Summary:
  • I made it from the PW through the 7 iron, testing against my P7MC irons.  As I ran out of time, I skipped the 6 and 5 irons and hit the 4 iron in both the Toura CB and my 2020 P7MC.
  • I used the PW as a warmup, but wasn't as clean with it as I was on Saturday.
  • I really struggled with the 9 iron, so much so I knew something wasn't right with the build.  I was NOT at all surprised to find out I'd built it a little bit too long.  Once I get a chance to edit that build video and upload it, you'll understand why there's always a chance for error when comparing to pre-built clubs w/ installed grips.  In short, it's very hard to account for possible loft, lie, and grip cap thickness differences, even though I thought I'd been VERY careful to eliminate all of those variables.
  • Stats were better and compared more favorably to the P7MC with the 8 iron, but the 7 iron was again an issue.  
  • Of all of the praise I have for everything else Toura so far, I hate to say it, but I am very much NOT a fan of the Toura grips
  • I, however, have being very much a fan of the Golf Pride ZGRIP Plus2 grips I found a couple of months ago at Golf Galaxy.  They come on the 2024 Taylormade clubs, and are a really nice size for my hands.  They're a little larger than standard, and with a 2nd wrap of tape, they're perfect for me.  I was struggling with having to grip too tightly with the Lamkin ST Hybrid midsize grips I had previously used for almost 2 years.  It was causing an overcorrection and making me swing MORE left instead of less left as a slightly bigger grip would have because I was using way too much left hand in my swing and pulling the heck out of the ball too often.  
  • More on the Toura grips:  I'm finding that if I get any "turf" resistance at all, I lose the club and it twists.  I'm worried that when I get outside in the ridiculous Texas heat and humidity (slated to be in the 80s w/ 50%+ humidity tomorrow afternoon), I'll lose it almost every time I take any divot.  I think this is why I struggled for consistency with the 7 and 9 irons, both of which were a little longer than their P7MC counterparts.  I am leaning towards replacing these grips and have a set of the ZGROP Plus2s in my Golf Galaxy cart to add to the Toura irons.  I don't think I'm going to get a true "apples to apples" comparison without this.
  • I am posting the data to my testing as a link, instead of as pictures, since I can't post a PDF:  https://bit.ly/TBTvP7MC05062024

05-08-2024:  

• I uploaded a few pictures of my completed build separately from the other folder: https://bit.ly/TBTF-Photos (I had a special guest appearance during the photography session!).
• I need to spend some time practicing turning ferrules and then get after turning these ferrules.  If @azstu324, @JRDuck40, and @David Leighton Reid are going to keep putting out such fire-breathing work, and I intend to keep my build simple and clean, I need to come through with professional-looking results!!!

05-11-2024:

I am going to work on editing these to try and get them to be a little less annoyingly "portrait-mode" videos (because I'm a rookie and video recording apparently despite way too many years of doing that for hockey teams) and re-uploading them next week, but I'm going to go ahead and post them now.  In order, I am posting a quick "plug" video for my favorite epoxy, the 3M DP810NS, the build video for the Toura PW, and then the Toura 9-4 (in that order) buildout.

3M Epoxy:

 

Toura PW:

 

Toura 4-9 irons:

 

Update 05-12-2024:

• I spent another hour on a simulator at a different PGA Superstore because, you guessed it, DFW got pounded with massive amounts of rain again this weekend.
• I am more convinced than ever that the stock lie on these irons is slightly upright for me based on their CG placement being so bottom-weighted.  That's not necessarily a bad thing, as I am finding that thin shots still go relatively close to forever compared to some other CB-type irons I've hit in the past, with most of all of the mass in the base of the iron.
• There is a decent distance penalty for any shots missed medium toe to high toe, but it isn't as far offline as it was on the Mizuno Pro 223, where I'd lose those all hard right, while a low toe would be a hard left pull.  If anyone out there wants to try and explain the physics of that, you can go buy my clubs from the guy to whom I sold them (they're back up for sale on eBay).
• I do think I have the 6 iron slightly too short (like a tiny fraction of an inch...not even 1/8" but still enough to notice), as it continues to be an issue for me.
• I finally tried turning the ferrule on the PW using acetone.  I think I did a pretty good job and will take some pictures tomorrow.  It was easier on the ferrule Toura sent me on which I practiced than on the BB&F ferrule, as the BB&F got sticky VERY fast.  I'm going to have to use an old microfiber on future ferrules rather than paper towels, as those started getting sticky really soon with the BB&F, whereas they didn't do that at all with the Toura ferrule.

 

Update 05-13-2024:

• I have booked a gap analysis "lesson" with PGA Superstore on Thursday, 05-16, since I won't be able to play this week because (drumroll) it's going to rain again on the day I normally would get out of the office early to go play 9 holes with my wife. 
• The plan is to start w/ my MG4 60° and work my way up to the Toura 4 iron to see where I'm at with my gaps and any loft / lie angle adjustments that might be needed.  
  • While I think there's a chance I would want to add a little more distance by bending the irons a degree or 2 stronger, I'm not sure the increased offset (I already tend towards a hard pull) would be worth the risk.
  • I also worry that I'd be increasingly prone to "digging" if I bent these stronger, so I may leave them as is.  
  • The current thought is these will end up being bent 1-2° flat from where they are.  I'm having a ____ of a time getting any fade on the ball unless I really overdo the setup to accentuate the swing for that, and I lose too much distance doing that.
  • I have zero issues getting the ball up in the air, even using lower flight balls, so I can afford to drop the lofts a bit.  I mean, my driver is turned down to 7.5° and I still hit it fairly high...
• Once the session is over, I'll have the fitter mark the clubs, take them to the repair shop, and have them adjusted.  Unfortunately, I don't have access to a loft / lie machine myself and don't have any experience with one anyway, so I am going to leave this to the professionals.  It's a coin toss whether to trust them or Golf Galaxy here in this area, so I'll see what happens when I get them back.  I'll book some more simulator time and try to get on the course this weekend...if it ever stops raining.  Most of the creeks / ponds on the course are at max fill levels right now, so the courses will flood again if it doesn't stop soon.
• On a sort of unrelated to the Toura CB Build and Review note, I found a cheap P790 UDI to buy and decided to pair it with a new True Temper DG Tour Issue X100 shaft from Golf Works.  While I was there, I also ordered their economy swingweight device, as I am very interested in seeing the data.  This is related to the build process because I plan to test my P7MC irons.  I was hitting VERY well leading up to the start of this testing process against the Toura irons, which are proving to take much more work to hit well right now.  I think that a combination of swingweight and lie angle difference between the 2 sets are throwing me off.
• Update #2 for today can be found at the following post later in the Toura Build thread:  

I turned the ferrules tonight...and I guess having finally played with them on a real course instead of a simulator has led to an amazing revelation...they REALLY are pure raw irons!!! 
 

     
 

    Check out the video here:
 

    
        
    

     
 

    Check out my Google Photos build folder here to see the raw Toura CB irons in their early stages of glory (with a teaser photo below...yes, that's rust, not dirt or anything else, I promise!):
 

   https://photos.app.goo.gl/f2LnqsSqQd2hZABYA
 

     
 

    

    
 

Update - 05-15-2024:

• I bought the GolfWorks Economy Swingweight Tester and it arrived today. 
• I checked the Toura CB irons from PW through my new P790UDI 2 iron I just built tonight.
• Across the board, the clubs were mostly in the D7-D9 range. 
• The 4 iron was the odd club out at all the way at D9, but since I'm hitting that really well, maybe that's not a bad thing?
• You can see the exact readings by reviewing the pictures of the swingweight check of each club here:  https://photos.app.goo.gl/5k3aFmP9MzeVZKtr9

 

Update - 05-16-2024 - Loft and Lie / Gap Analysis Fitting Session:

See the separate post below to read about a loft / lie / gap analysis fitting session I did yesterday (Thursday, 05-16).
 

 

Update - 05-26-2024:

After reading the post from @azstu324 about his swingweight issues, I went back and pulled out my P7MC irons from the Toura box where they'd been safely in storage during this testing process.  I ran them through the Golfworks Economy Swingweight machine as I had the Toura irons (remembering those numbers were with the Toura grips though), and here is the comparison:

 

TaylorMade 2020 P7MC (4-9 - True Temper DG Tour Issue X100 shafts / PW - MMT125TX):

4 iron:  D7

5 iron: D6.5

6 iron: D5.5

7 iron: D7.25

8 iron: D6.25

9 iron: D6

PW: D8

Toura CB Irons (4-PW - True Temper DG X100 shafts):

4 iron:  D9

5 iron: D8.5

6 iron: D7.25

7 iron: D7.5

8 iron: D6.25

9 iron: D9

PW: D8

It's not surprising that the clubs in the Toura set I'm hitting the worst, the 5 and 6 irons, are off from the swingweighting of their P7MC counterparts.  However, I'm hitting the 9 iron in the Toura beautifully, even though it's a full 3 swingweight points higher than the P7MC version.  I think that might simply be a function of the fact that it's a shorter iron I can control better more than anything else.  I'll have to redo the Toura irons again with the ZGRIP Plus2 grips on there to get a true "apples to apples" swingweight comparison, but it appears that there's a need for some fine-tuning to be done.

 

Update - 05-27-2024:

I forgot to put this update here in my main post when I redid the swingweights once I had taken the included @Toura Golf grips off the CB irons and installed the Golf Pride ZGRIP Plus2 grips on them:

I not only redid the swingweight tests, but I also used a digital caliper set to measure the Toura CB heads and compared them to my set of 2020 TaylorMade P7MC irons.

 

Update - 06-05-2024:

See this post for a bunch of data I collected over the weekend on some of the irons in the PGA SS Simulator and my commentary on the results:  

 

Edited June 6 by ctg44
06-05-2024: Update 10 w/ Sim data and spin / launch angle discussion

[ctg44]

First Impressions and Aesthetics:  

See my Main Post:  
 

The Numbers (9 out of 10)

Looking through the full Toura Build and Review thread, you will find numerous posts from me with simulator data on the Toura CB irons.  I won't clutter this post by linking to all of it here again, but I think I can get these close to my current "gamer" irons, a set of 2020 P7MCs with some tweaks.  For anyone who's new to the thread or catching up on this later, I only had the P7MCs for about 2 months of light play during one of the wettest winters on record in Dallas / Fort Worth history, so I don't have a ton to compare them to as far as on-course experience.  However, the time I spent on the course with the P7MCs was almost all very much an improvement over my previous set of clubs, which ironically were a newer model from Mizuno (MP 223s bought in 2022).  

The only reason the Toura CB irons are not a 10/10 for me is the "out of the box" launch angle and spin rates are simply too high for my swing speed.  My driver clubhead speed is between 108-115, and I have an upward attack angle as it is with most clubs, so anything that enhances / increases launch angles and spin rates tends to hurt my game since it is so windy here in the Dallas / Fort Worth area.  I do hit the ball through the wind more now that I'm using the Maxfli Tour X ball than when I was using other balls, but the Toura CB irons' launch angle is still a little too high by default for me.

Accuracy - I would rate the side-to-side dispersion of the Toura Irons as an 8 / 10 and the distance dispersion as a 9/10

Distance - I would rate the raw distance of the Toura CB irons as a 6/10.  I'm losing about 5-8 yards versus the P7MC irons from 2020 I previously had in the bag (both with X100 shafts).

Trajectory - The Toura CB irons launch very high with a very high spin rate.  On average, these spin about 500 RPM more than the 2020 P7MC irons. Again, both sets are using X100 steel shafts.  The P7MCs are using Tour Issue versions, but the launch and spin characteristics should be reasonably similar to the “non-tour issue” versions sent by Toura.

Forgiveness - Surprisingly, the Toura CB irons are relatively forgiving on both thin and toe hits.  I tend to get most of my distance out of a thin hit, and it still stops fairly quickly.  I also get most of my distance, with only a slight short and right penalty, from a toe miss.  However, an inside / heel miss can be really bad and will almost always result in a really bad shot.  Probably what I'd call the worst "miss" from these is when you get it just to the right of the sweet spot with a pull swing and end up bringing the ball across your body because the club tends to rocket the ball across the target long and left a little (at least now that they've been set properly to 2 degrees upright mostly across the boards).  However, that’s nowhere near a fatal flaw for me like my left misses were with the Mizuno irons I had, where the left miss would be a hook out of play on short par 3s or missing greens with a 9 iron or PW from good fairway lies.

Control - The Toura CB irons do require more focus than I would prefer to hit a good shot.  I have tended to "thin" the ball more with these than I did with the P7MC irons, largely because I've had issues with turf interaction at the outset of the test, and that's a little bit in my head.   When I really concentrate and have a good smooth / wide takeaway and am patient with my transition, the feeling of flushing these irons is amazing because you’re going to hit a high, straight dart right at your target.  If you had your distance right, the ball is going to dive-bomb out of the air and sit on any green.  I did the Pinehurst challenge 3 different times at Golf Galaxy last Sunday, and all 3 times I was able to hit a shot with the Toura CB 7 iron that sat on the Par 3 15th hole that Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler hit and rolled off of this morning because they couldn’t get the ball to sit without spinning too much.

Workability - The stock shot shape for me with these is a high, straight bomb.  It just goes where I point it and drops straight out of the sky.  I've stopped 4 and 5 irons within a few feet of their pitch marks downwind on greens that wouldn't normally hold a shot from a 7 or 8 iron.  If you have the distance to play with these, or play on concrete greens, you'd do well to consider these irons.  Another bonus is that the 9 iron or PW can be great little "Texas wedge" alternatives around the green.  My wife has taught me a little technique she's used to basically rule the Ladies' Evening Golf Group when she plays in it because she rarely bogeys if her tee shot stays in play at all. The Toura CB irons are so soft they feel great when being used on these little touch shots.

On-Course (18 out of 20)

I haven't had as much time on the course as I would like because, frankly, it's rained about every other day here in D/FW this spring.  We're already at the 5th wettest YEAR of ALL TIME. Yes, the "all caps" for emphasis were necessary because it has rained that much this spring.  Unfortunately, the fall of 2023 was pretty bad, too, so it’s been a long 8 months without anywhere near enough practice time outside.  Since I got these irons in my hands, I've not had more than 1 day per week where it's not rained, and that has almost never matched up with my schedule to get on the course to play in what I would call reasonably normal Texas golf conditions.  It's always been either cartpath-only, or on a couple of occasions, the ground was even harder than normal because the flooding on the course left behind a bunch of nasty garbage clay soil on top of the turf that just made everything a brick for a couple of weeks.

Pressure - From the tee box, I am really confident with most of clubs in the Toura CB set.  I rarely hit anything but a really good shot on a par 3 now, which is great, because I'd had a lot of trouble with par 3 scoring the past few months with my Mizuno irons.  Yeah, "nothing feels like a Mizuno?"  Well, that's a good thing these don't as far as I'm concerned, or I'd have already left them at home and switched back to the P7MCs...Per SwingU, my par 3 scoring average is hovering right around 3.0 the last 2 months, when I have been exclusively playing the Toura CB irons, versus the 2 before that where I was playing the P7MCs and scoring around a 3.2 average.  By comparison, I was about a 3.6 with the Mizunos, so yeah, I don’t think you have to worry about me ever going back to the “3” lineup from them again…

There are a few features of these irons that are great. 

The grooves are sharp, and they spin like demons.  

Feel - This matters on the course too.  If you hit a great shot, you want to know you hit a great shot, and with the Toura CB irons, you really do know.

The biggest area I found lacking with these irons is how heavy they are when paired with a set of X100 steel shafts.  I have them paired with standard-size grips and only 1 extra wrap, so I don’t have very much weight up top, either.  They are heavier than the P7MC irons (which have the EXACT same grip / tape setup) by enough that it might just be enough to make the Toura CBs too inconsistent for my game.  I'm a fairly strong guy at 6'4" / 210-215 (lots of leg strength from playing hockey for years) and still find these to require a level of concentration and effort that might not be feasible long term.  I am pretty stubborn though, so don't be surprised if you check in with me in a year or so and I'm still using these...but then again maybe not since I also hate not performing at my peak and know I'm getting older, so I am also VERY much not afraid to change things up (hence I ditched a set of Club Champion-fitted Mizunos for a Facebook Marketplace set of P7MCs with solid success!) to try and find what works best. Weight adjustments are something else I’m considering tinkering with in addition to the lofts.

Final Performance Comments:

Overall, how did it perform? 

-          The Toura irons are performing MUCH better than the Mizuno irons I had for 2 years.  I only had my P7MCs in the bag about 2 months before this review started, so the Toura CBs have had as much (or maybe more now) time in the bag as the P7MCs. 

-          After many trips to the PGA Tour Superstore simulator and my on-course experience, I can say these definitely play about 1/2 club, or 4-6 yards, shorter than the P7MCs.

-          The distance loss is not a deal-breaker for me right now, as long as I can continue to get better at dialing in my control.  However, I did deduct one (1) point from my final score, because for some people, this might be a full club of distance loss, which would create significant gapping issues throughout their bags.

-          These irons really promote a high launch with a lot of spin, so if you’re hitting into a lot of wind, you have to be aware of that and play a flighted shot.  If you don’t have that shot in your arsenal, these are going to be hard to game for you if you regularly play in places like Texas with winds in the 15-20 MPH range.  On some clubs, this spin is a bonus, and on others, it tends to be a little excessive.  I’ve never had a 4 iron come into a hard, dry green and actually stay there when I carried it a little too far because of the wind.  However, having a PW land on the green and spin off when you got it past the pin isn’t good.  I tend to have an upward angle of attack, so someone who hits down onto these is going to generate even more spin, which is where the 2nd point deduction comes from in that I feel that person is going to really suffer from distance loss and excessive spin issues.  I don’t have any hard data on that, but from all of my range time, simulator time, and on-course time, that’s my impression from using these for almost 2 months now.

Did it help improve your scores? By how much?

-          When I started the Toura Build and Review process, my GHIN handicap was 7.1.  As of this morning, it is 5.6.  I’m sure that at least a little of that is due to better approach scores, and that would be the result of the Toura CB irons. 

-          Frankly, my handicap would be even lower right now if I were hitting the ball as well off the tee and putting as well as I was at the end of last summer when my handicap was down in the 3.4 range, because I was at that point with a really inconsistent approach game.  I’m at almost 2.0 putts per hole, which is up from under 1.7 per hole last summer.

How, if at all, did this product change your overall impression of the OEM?

-          I had seen the Toura Wedge build by @Golfspy_APH and another Toura thread from @JoshParker, but had never considered Toura as an option for my own irons.

-          I had built assorted clubs or wedges, including having just bought a set of demo MG4 wedges from a small golf shop, and reshafting them to my desired shafts.

-          I had just picked up the P7MC irons and was really liking where my iron game was with those, so I wasn’t really in the market for new irons when this review became available.  However, I had also loved my Yonex Super ADX Tour irons more than any other irons I’d ever played in my life, so the idea of getting to play a forged Japanese iron again was really intriguing.

-          Thus, when I was selected for this process and began my research, it’s clear that there are three (3) things that make Toura a great option for someone looking for a great set of irons:

1.      The iron heads themselves are built with an outstanding level of detail and consistency.  They arrived weighing what Toura said they should weigh and were all very close to the specified lofts and lies even after I’d had them in the bag and been playing them for a few weeks.

2.      They are very forgiving for a set of cavity back irons with very little visible technology.  The only place you can’t hit them and expect a decent result is the lower inner half of the face near the heel, and really, what iron handles a near shank well? 

3.      When you look at the prices for a set of custom irons on the retail market, the Toura irons are a great option for someone looking for something out of the ordinary but still wanting something that is high-quality.  These feel better in every way than the Mizuno Pro 223 irons I gamed for 2+ years.  Whether you have a local club builder put these together on your preferred shaft, build them yourself on shafts you already own, buy the parts to build them yourself from Toura, or even have them built, I don’t think you’d be disappointed with the results.

What feature would you change or eliminate from the next generation of this model?

-          I would add a little leading-edge relief.  This is the only thing I miss from the Mizuno and my P7MC irons versus the Toura CB irons. 

-          The turf interaction is not as good as the other 2 listed sets of irons I’ve recently played.  Grinding a little leading edge relief might also reduce the weight in a meaningful way that also could be done in a way that would not negatively affect feel.

What features do you really like, and would most like to see continued or evolved in future models?

-          The weight of the head is both a blessing and a curse. It helps with that above-mentioned high launch and spin, but it can make the club harder to swing for more people.  It also helps with the feel, so it’s for sure a delicate balance to adjust the weight of a clubhead, but I think that if a slightly lighter head could be made that would give similar feel, it might appeal to a wider audience.

-          I would also add the ability to add more shaft options.  For a premium iron set, I want the option to have the parts arrive all once like they did so I can get my build going, but I’d have preferred to have access to at least the Tour Issued X100 shafts over the regular True Temper Dynamic Gold X100 shafts.  It’s a little thing, and there is a little bit of a cost premium (currently a $15 / shaft differential on Golfworks.com), but if I am building a set of high-end custom irons, I’d love the option of adding a premium shaft to the build right from Toura.  I think more shaft options would also attract more customers to Toura for their in-house build services.

The Good, the bad, the in-between (17 out of 20)

-          The Good:

o   I had very few issues with my build, as Toura sends you everything you need to build your clubs, properly prepped and in gorgeous packaging.

o   The packaging, the premium quality of the iron heads themselves, the ferrules they shipped, etc. all were absolutely high-end gear.  If you’re building a set of irons, and request their custom ferrule option, I would ask for more than the basic seven (7) total ferrules unless you’re unlike me and always get those on just right the first time.

 

-          The Bad:

o   There really isn’t anything bad I can say about the Toura CB irons themselves, but the Toura website is not the easiest to navigate, which I think could cost the company buyers.  I would recommend a revamped site where each product gets it own page under a category heading (MB irons, CB irons, Wedges, Putters, accessories, etc.), and then you buy / add to cart from the individual product page rather than a “Shop All” page as is currently the case.  I deducted one (1) point for this area as well.

-  Currently, if I go to the Toura Wedges and Irons page, the TG JCB-Cut CB (the irons I selected and built), are about 2/3 the way down the page.

-  However, there is no page to click through to get more information, specifications, etc. 

-  On some of the irons and wedges, you can click the picture and are taken to the “Shop All” page, but that is just a random list of all of the items you can buy, and not all of those are easy to see a way to add to the cart.

o   Finally, the only thing I really did not like, AT ALL, that Toura sent me, was the stock grip option.  It is basically a Toura custom version of the Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 grip, and it is frankly the worst possible option for me for use in Texas where it’s seemingly always hot and humid.  This was the final one (1) point deduction.

 

-          The “In Between”: 

o   I initially thought I’d been sent chrome irons instead of raw ones, but once I reached out to Toura, I found out about their process for coating the iron heads after manufacturing and before shipping to ensure they show up in pristine condition.  I thought I had not been sent the raw irons I had selected because there was no information in the package about them having preserved them like that and what steps one could take to start the irons on their path to a smooth, even patina. 

o   It was almost by accident I found they were raw irons, and it was only after a few trips to the course early in the morning when it had rained the day before which led to the clubs being wiped off frequently.  I deducted a point for this lack of information (either on the site on an “FAQ” page) or as an insert in the owner’s card / information kit.  I deducted one (1) point from this area.

 

Play it or Trade it? (19 out of 20)

-          As of today, the Toura CB irons are in the bag and staying there for at least the near future.  The feel, spin, and overall performance are good; they are a beautiful set of irons to look at in the bag.  They definitely get noticed when I’m on the range practicing.

-          If I have any wavering desire to go back to the set of P7MC irons, it’s that they are a little longer and a little more forgiving overall, leading to more greens in regulation if I had been playing and practicing with them.  It’s really hard to put something I have put this much work into in a box in the garage, even for one round to take the P7MCs out to try again, so it’s unlikely the Toura CBs leave the bag this summer, at least! 

-          I might have these bent a little stronger to adjust for the 1/2 club or so of distance I’m losing right now and to bring down the ball flight and spin rates to what I saw with the P7MC irons.  I have zero issues with launching the ball into the air and can elevate even the lowest spinning / lowest launching ball with my angle of attack, so going a little stronger isn’t going to hurt much as long as the turf interaction isn’t affected too much.  The good news is that the Toura irons are so easy for a shop to adjust that if I have them moved to stronger lofts and don’t like their performance, I can just as easily have them moved back.

-          I mean, would YOU take clubs that look this good out of your bag?                                  

             

 

 

 

 Conclusion

So, the Toura Build and Review Thread is up to 20 pages as I type this on 06-15-2024 and is one of the most active Forum Review Threads of this year’s gear cycle.  To me, this means that not only was there a huge amount of interest in the Toura irons overall, but also interest in the unique nature of the “build and review” concept.  I think this area could be explored again next year with other products or even Toura’s next round of irons or wedges.  I could not be happier to have been selected to be a part of this group, and I hope I’ve done my part to bring you good information to help you decide if the Toura CB irons might be right for you or if building your own set of irons from shafts and heads would be right for you.  I know I can't wait for the next time I get to be a part of a Member Review process, and hope that it's as much fun as this one has been.

For sure, I don’t expect everyone to sit and read the full 20 pages if you find this after today but are still interested in Toura Irons, so here’s my 1 sentence TL;DR version:

-          If you are looking for a set of custom irons that feel utterly amazing when paired with a premium golf ball (I cannot recommend the Maxfli Tour X enough as a great combo with these), can be bent to any specification you need (upright, flat, stronger, weaker, etc.), will be reasonably forgiving on almost every type of contact, look flat out beautiful, and are actually priced reasonably for a hand-forged Japanese iron, run and get your set of Toura CB irons before they are sold out….as long as you are willing to put in some time on the range to dial in your distances and understand the spin rates and ball flight.

-          Ok, that was a REALLY long sentence, but I would definitely recommend the Toura CB irons as long as you’re willing to sacrifice a little distance and put in the work to dial the lofts and lies in for your needs. How’s that for a little bit shorter TL;DR? 

Final Score (93 out of 100)

Here is a summary of the areas where I deducted points from the @Toura Golf CB irons:

• 1 point for the grips.  A Tour Velvet-style grip is simply not comfortable or "grippy" enough for me when it gets hot and humid here in Texas (which is about 9 months of the year
• 1 point for the website.  More info and easier navigation of the shopping pages would be highly recommended
• 1 point for the "numbers" - the amount of backspin from the irons.  At their stock lofts, the launch and spin amounts are too high for windy conditions in Texas
• 1 point for not including a packaging insert or any information on the website about how the Pure Raw CB irons are coated to prevent rusting before arrival, but that they would rust / patina once the coating was removed
• 1 point for distance lost over the P7MC irons - about 1/2 a club (5-8 yards on average in on-course and simulator testing)
• 1 point for turf interaction issues - even when adjusted to the proper lie angles, I've see some areas where the Touras do not always cleanly get through heavy wet turf, leading to an occasional "fat" shot.  The good news is that if you "choke up" to prevent this or hit one thin trying to prevent this, the Toura CB irons do tend to limit the penalty one sees with thinned shots by still going almost as far as a regular shot with almost as much spin.
• 1 point for the weight of the heads when paired with X100 shafts compared to other cavity back iron options - this could make them harder for some golfers to use the CB irons, so I'd recommend Toura add more shaft options to accommodate a wider market of golfers.

Overall, I'd rate these as high as any other irons I've ever played.  

Edited June 15 by ctg44
***Final Review Posted - 06-15-2024***

[David Leighton Reid]

Introduction

I am extremely fortunate to have been selected as a builder and tester of the Toura irons.   A great big "Thank You" to Toura Golf and our MyGolfSpy staff.  You can find these great looking irons at touragolf.com.

Bio

I am 64 years old; been married for almost 43 years; and have 3 children and 10 grandkids.  I retired last August from an Anheuser-Busch distributorship where I worked 32 years, with 10 years as General Manager.  I am obsessed with golf and trying to get better.  I began building and repairing clubs approximately 15 years ago and was fortunate to be mentored by a gentleman who completed courses provided by Golfsmith.   

Photo 1:  Most recent picture of my wife and I, who is the current bread winner in our family.  I also refer to her on the forum as SWMBO, but she is unaware of that title.  *It was not our 50th Anniversary, just a photo op at a party we attended. 

Photo 2:  Golfing in Florida with the Sandhill Cranes.

Photo 3:  This is how my grandkids see me.

Photo 4:  Me, hitting a tee shot on hole #17 at Sawgrass in 2005.  And yes, I hit the green on my first try, but splashed the second after the photo. 

The other testers in our group have come up with some exceptional ideas for unique and personalized builds for the Toura irons.  To accompany the blank non-logo heads, I purchased a set of UST Recoil graphite shafts that I plan to paint, so the shafts will be non-logo as well.  

I encourage you to follow along with our builds and testing; I believe you will be impressed with the builds the testers have planned.  I'm impressed and I have only read about some of their ideas so far.  

Update 5/4/24

I have received my packages from Toura Golf!!!  The first package, which included the heads, was delivered to the wrong house on the wrong street.  And to top that off, USPS tracking shows I signed for the package.  Thankfully, an honest stranger brought the package to my house yesterday afternoon.  I will be posting an unboxing video this afternoon.  

Unboxing completed.

The Toura CB iron set has been unboxed and videoed.  My first video attempt ran over 20 minutes so I did take #2 for a condensed version.  Currently, youtube is showing 1 hour 13 minutes to upload my video.  Good thing I cut down!  I tried to have a little fun with the video reflecting on how we as golfers have a special affinity and passion for our clubs, especially gorgeous irons like Toura.   

Toura Golf does an exceptional job packaging their high quality components.  The iron heads were shipped separate with a plastic cover, a bubble wrap cover, a soft bag, and another bubble wrap package.  With a thin top line and a compact head, the CB irons are not only pleasing to the eye, they are just down-right sexy. 
https://touragolf.com/shop-all/ols/products/blank-tg-japan-mb-irons-black-bln-tg-mb-rns1

Okay....here is my first ever youtube video.

 

 

 

Photo 1 & 2:  The gorgeous iron heads and components.

Photo 3:  Toura Crossline grips

Photo 4:  Toura Golf towel

Photo 5:  TrueTemper S300 steel shafts

Photos 6 - 8:  Toura Golf CB polished chrome 8 iron

Update May 8, 2023

The weatherman said today is a high alert day for severe storms, so I decided to forgo my round of golf and work on my Toura irons build.  As I mentioned above, Toura Golf generously provided TrueTemper S300 steel shafts for the build, but with my slower swing speed, I need a regular flex shaft to provide an accurate testing.  I purchased a set of UST Mamiya Recoil 95 F3 shafts for my build and decided the shafts need to be blank to match the heads. For my painting project, I purchased a Hammered Steel color spray paint and a can of Gloss Clear.  To prep the shafts, I sanded by hand with 220 sandpaper and wiped clean with a rag and water.  

I suspended the shafts between two sawhorses and proceeded to spray paint by applying 1 coat from both sides.  After the paint dried, I rotated the shafts 180 degrees and repeated the process to complete the first coat.  The worst part of painting is waiting patiently for the paint or clear coat to dry.  I completed 3 coats of paint and moved on to applying the clear coat.  For this step, I hold a shaft at the butt end and rotate it as I apply thin layer of clear coat.  Then the shaft is placed in a redneck drying rack, also known as my Weber grill.

 

In between coats of paint and clear coat, I was able to complete some household chores as well as paint fill the iron heads.  From Wal-Mart, I purchased a red fingernail polish to use as paint fill.  Using the nail polish brush, I filled the number on each head and the "Made in Japan" on each hosel.  I used a hot air gun to help dry the polish and then removed the excess paint with a cotton ball and acetone.  

So, it was a very productive day for both housework and club building.  Unforturnately, my cinematographer was at work today, but I did get her to video the last application of clear coat.

The shafts are done, the paint fill is completed, so it is time to start assembly.  To be continued.....

Update 5/9/24

Last night I continued the build process by installing the ferrules and heads.  My first step was to sand approximately 1 3/4 inches of the tips with a belt sander and finishing by hand with sandpaper.  I then used a ferrule installation tool and a rubber mallet to tap the ferrule to 1 1/8 inch from the tip. 

Once all the ferrules were in place, I mixed up Brampton’s Pro-Fix Quick Cure epoxy and added shafting beads.  The Toura heads were installed and left to dry.  

My next steps will be shaft trimming, grip installation, loft and lie adjustment, and swing weight check.  Please don't hesitate to ask if you have questions or comments.  Thanks for following along. 

Update Stardate May 10, 2024

Okay, I am not Captain Kirk!  However, I do have some progress to share with you on the Toura Golf CB irons build.  This evening, I trimmed the butt of the shafts to my personal specifications, using a chop saw.  The chop saw is a must have for your home golf shop; it is so much easier and faster to use than a manual pipe cutter.  

Then it was time for the Toura Golf grips to be installed.  I use an air compressor with a nozzle attachment, which makes installing and removing grips much easier.  Also, I do not use 2 sided gripping tape.  Instead, I use 2" masking tape which makes removing the grips a simple process.  And I am sure someone is wondering about slippage, but the grips will not slip or turn after the solvent has dried.  

 

Next, I will be checking the loft and lies and also, the swingweights.  

Update 5/11/24

Here's a video I made through iMovie with pictures of the finished clubs.  I plan on adjusting the loft and lies to my specs and checking the swingweights prior to taking the Toura CB irons to the course on Wednesday.

Here's the photos I used in the video.

 

Update May 13, 2024

This morning I adjusted the loft and lies on the CB irons.  Most of the heads were spot on according to my Golfsmith machine and if there was a variance, it was within 1°.  Well done Toura!  I have seen new sets of clubs with considerable differences in actual loft and lie versus factory specs. 

My current gamers are PXG Gen 3 0311XP irons, which have much stronger lofts than the more traditional lofting of the CB heads.  So for a starting point, I bent the iron heads 4° stronger to make them close to my PXG irons.  When you are almost 65 and losing distance, the stronger lofts are priceless.  The factory lies were a couple of degrees flat for me, so I adjusted the lies +2°.  

The swing weights were as expected....heavy; compared to my 0311XP irons, which are a hollow body distance iron.  And this was using the same weight shaft.  If I find the need to lower the swing weights, I will remove the grips and add some weight to the butt end with lead tape.  The 52° wedge is a beast at D9!

So now the CB irons are officially ready for their first round of golf on Wednesday.  If it stops raining today, I may have to hit a few balls out of the yard.  

Update May 15, 2024

On the course performance testing began today as I walked 18 holes and played 2 balls.  For many years, I have played Mizuno forged irons and PXG forged irons, so I know what it feels like to play top shelf forged clubs.  Simply stated, Toura Golf has got it right in their forged clubs.  When struck in the sweet spot, the feel is melted butter smooth.  Shots struck outside the sweet spot were not harsh, but I knew immediately that I didn't flush the shot.  I hit every iron multiple times and was completely impressed with the Toura CB heads.  I completed full swings, 3/4 swings, knock down shots, draws, hooks, fades, pitch shots, chip shots, and sadly, also a couple of shanks.  The Toura CB irons performed amazingly with all the different shots.  Any poor shots were strictly operator error. 

Shot of the day.  

An errant drive left me behind a tree, but I could see the left edge of the green.  I grabbed the 7 iron, set up for a cut, and hit a beautiful high fade that started left of the tree and finished approximately 10 feet from the hole.  And, the shot felt amazing.  In case you are wondering, I did not make the birdie putt.  

The greens at my course are very firm due to less rainfall than normal for this time of year.  Plus, the course superintendent told me the greens need to plugged and sanded.  My approach shots did not balloon from too much spin, but they did hold the firm greens with a couple of hops and stop.  

So after one outing, I am extremely impressed with the Toura CB irons.  Hopefully, another field test on Friday.

Photo 1:  The kids are anxious to play!

Photo 2:  Gap wedge 52° bent to 48°

Photo 3:  9 iron

Photo 4:  7 iron

Photo 5:  5 iron

Oh, I almost forgot.....I love the Gap Wedge.  The Toura GW may find a permanent spot in my bag, replacing the PXG GW.  

Update May 19, 2024

I took my bucket of practice balls to youth soccer fields behind our Middle School and hit 35 shots with the wind and 35 shots into the wind with the Toura CB 7 - 9 irons.  What was impressive was the shots into the 10-15 mph wind did not balloon up from too much spin, but just bored right through.  It was easy to work the ball with the CB irons, both draws and fades.  Once again I am impressed with the marshmallow soft feel of balls struck in the sweet spot.  Tomorrow I get to take the Toura CB irons to H;ighland Springs Golf Course in Springfield, MO, which is the home of the Pricecutter Open on the Korn Ferry Tour.  

Update May 21, 2024

I have completed 2 more rounds with the Toura CB irons; one at Highland Springs Country Club and the other at my home course.  The round at Highland Springs was the first time the Toura CB irons got to interact with zoysia fairways and boy was it enjoyable.  The irons performed flawlessly, with the only exceptions being generated by operator error.  Today at my home course, the wind was blowing 20 mph, so shots into the wind had to be flighted down.  The CB irons performed well both flighted down or launched high to carry with the wind.  

Update May 28, 2024

I have played 2 more rounds with the Toura CB irons since my last update and continue to be impressed.  Even though the CB irons are not as forgiving as my PXG 0311XP irons, I do enjoy gaming them.  The smaller compact head and less offset seem to narrow my focus.  Though there isn't a great deal of difference side by side, when I look down at the CB irons, they just look significantly smaller.  Paired with the Recoil 95 graphite shafts, the CB irons continue to provide feedback on the quality of my strike.  The following pictures are the Toura CB 7 irons and my PXG 7 iron.  The painted shafts are holding up well and I have waxed them with car wax to add a protective coating.  

Update June 3rd

It is a rainy afternoon, so I decided to check the lofts and lies on the Toura CB irons.  No change from my initial adjustments.  The swingweight on the 6 iron was a couple of points higher than the 5 or 7 irons, so I removed the grip and added lead tape on the butt end of the shaft.  Did the same thing with the GW to bring it down closer to my Corey Paul SW and LW.  I played 18 holes this morning and continue to enjoy playing the Toura CB irons.  The less offset of the Toura CB irons makes it easier for me to work the ball compared to my PXG Gen 3 0311XP irons.  

Update June 10, 2024

We had lots of rain over the weekend, so yesterday I asked a friend if I could hit in his garage using his launch monitor.  Comparing the Toura CB irons to my gamer PXG Gen 3 0311XP irons, I felt like the Toura's were a little shorter...not much, just a little.  It is not really comparing apples to apples with the heads, but I do have the loft and lie set identical on both sets of irons.  However, the Toura heads are considerable heavier with Toura CB 7 iron at D3.5 and my PXG 7 iron at C8.  For comparisons on the launch monitor I hit the 7, 8, and 9 iron from both sets a total of 10 times.  

Toura CB irons

Spin rate was +250 rpm higher on average.

Ball speed was approximately 2 mph less.

Launch angles were within 1 degree.

Carry distances were approximately 3 yards shorter.

As you can see, there isn't a great deal of difference, but it is nice to know the numbers when planning a shot. 

Edited June 10 by David Leighton Reid

[David Leighton Reid]

Final Review Toura Golf CB Irons & 52° Wedge 

     If you are in the market for a set of playable, player's irons, continue reading, because you will want to consider the Toura Golf CB irons in your quest for new irons.  If you have been following my main post, you know that I completed the build on the CB irons and have played several rounds and completed several practice sessions.  

     For the past 20+ years, I have gamed Mizuno and PXG forged irons, which in my opinion, are top shelf forged irons.  Through my experience, I know how top shelf forged irons feel and play. In my field testing, I put the Toura CB irons up against my gamer set of PXG Gen 3 0311XP irons. 

     Before becoming a tester of the Toura Golf CB irons, I had zero experience with Toura Golf or their products. A couple of years ago, I looked at their website for wedges, but decided to purchase a wedge set made by Corey Paul. My initial impression of Toura Golf products at that time was being impressed with the non-logo or blank heads.  

     I was super excited and very fortunate to have been selected as a builder and tester of a set of irons from Toura Golf. After reviewing the MB model and the CB model, I chose the CB set of irons due to Toura’s claim of being more forgiving than the MB model. A combo set of MB and CB would have been sweet, but this configuration was not available for our test. The only shaft options available for the test were True Temper Dynamic Golf stiff or X stiff steel shafts. Being that I am almost 65 years old and possess a rather slow swing speed, I opted to purchase a set of Recoil 95 gram graphite shafts in regular flex for my build. Toura Golf offers 3 different colors of custom ferrules and their factory grips are similar to a Lamkin Cross-Line grip.  

     The configuration of my gamer set of PXG irons is 5 – GW, so I requested to purchase a 52° wedge for my test set. Toura Golf generously included the GW at no additional charge....very impressive! Toura Golf was extremely quick to ship my order and to say I was very impressed with the packaging is an understatement. The iron heads were packaged in 4 layers within a cardboard box to protect them during the shipping process. 

     For grading on First Impressions, I deduct only 1 point for not offering a regular flex shaft option for testing purposes. 

First Impression Score 19 out of 20 

Aesthetics 

     The Toura Golf CB irons are a compact head, with thin top line, and less offset than a game improvement iron. The blank or non-logo heads are unique in appearance and just down-right cool. The option of blank heads seems to be the primary point of difference between Toura Golf and other iron manufacturers. I chose the polished chrome finish option rather than the raw finish, because I like my clubs to retain a shiny, new look. The heads, shafts, ferrules, and grips were perfect, without any visual imperfections.  

     The sound of the CB iron making contact with the ball and turf is like music to my ears. The sound is not overly loud and not annoying at all. The feel of the irons is exquisite. Balls struck in the center of the face have that perfect forged iron feel, like striking a marshmallow. Shots outside the center of the face provide feedback of imperfect contact, but not a harsh, teeth rattling vibration.  

Aesthetics Score 10 out of 10 

The Numbers 

     After unpacking, the first thing I noticed was the obvious heavier weight of the iron heads. Once my build was complete, I checked the loft, lie and swing weight of each iron. The lofts and lies of each head were very close to the Toura specs, with several of the heads measuring exactly to specs. The few heads that showed a variance were only off about 1°, according to my loft/lie machine. The lofts of the CB irons were weaker than my PXG irons and the lies were a couple of degrees flat, so I set the lofts and lies to match my PXG irons. 

     The swing weight of each finished club was approximately 5 points heavier than my gamer PXG irons. But this difference can be attributed to the difference between a solid head and a hollow body iron. The swing weight of the 6 iron and 52° wedge were heavier than adjacent clubs, so I added lead tape under the grips to lessen the swing weight.  When comparing the CB irons to my PXG set on a launch monitor, the CB irons were 2 -3 yards shorter on average.  I attribute this to the heavier swing weight and slightly slower swing speeds.  

     I have deducted 2 points due to the lofts, lies, and swing weight of the 6 iron not being perfect. I know this sounds a little tough, but I am holding Toura irons to a zero tolerance level.  

The Numbers 18 out of 20 

 

On Course Field Testing 

     I haven’t gamed player’s irons for several years, so I was a little skeptical about playing well with the Toura CB irons. Compared to my PXG irons, the CB model heads are smaller, have a thinner top line, and less offset. Much to my delight, I have found I can play the CB irons quite well.  

     I have completed over 10 rounds and several practice sessions and the CB irons perform perfectly; unless there is operator error involved in the swing. Most of my rounds with the CB irons have been early morning solo rounds, where I hit extra iron shots on each hole. Of course, being a considerate golfer, I only hit extra shots if no one is behind me.  

     I have tested the Toura CB irons through every shot I would attempt to play. Be it the draw, fade, slice, hook, straight, knock-down, high launch, or a combination of shots, the Toura CB irons work to perfection. I also hit a few unintentional shanks, which I attribute to poor swings and a compact head. The irons also work well cutting through the rough and for punch out recovery shots, when my driver gets me in trouble.  

    Data from the launch monitor showed the spin rates were a little higher with the Toura CB irons compared to my PXG set, but not enough to cause any issues.  Shots hit into the wind with the Toura CB irons did not balloon up and retained a good launch angle.  

On Course Field Testing Score 20 out of 20 

 

The Good, The Bad, and the In-Between 

The Good – As far as I am concerned, there are only good aspects to report about Toura Golf and their CB irons. From shipping to quality of their irons, I see nothing but an A+ rating.  

The Bad – Nothing, nada, nope, not a thing! 

The In-Between – As I mentioned earlier in First Impressions, I would have liked to have had the option for regular flex shafts. Maybe Toura Golf’s target demographic are individuals with higher swing speeds and proficient enough to game player’s irons. Through my testing, the CB irons with correct shafts are very playable for a semi-senior golfer with a slower swing speed.  

The Good, The Bad, and the In-Between Score 19 out of 20 

 

Play It or Trade It 

     The Toura CB irons are definitely a keeper for me. After becoming accustomed to the smaller, less offset head, I have thoroughly enjoyed playing these irons. In my opinion, the Toura CB irons are just as good as my PXG gamers or Mizuno irons that I have played in the past.  

     I like being different and I don’t want to follow the crowd. The blank head of the Toura irons is very cool and definitely different. So, if you are looking for a new set of top-quality irons that stand apart from all the major golf manufacturers, the Toura Golf irons are for you.  

     Another cool feature of buying irons through Toura Golf is that you have the option of building the clubs yourself or have the company complete the set for you.  

     My only suggestion for Toura Golf is they could add a forged game improvement iron head to their lineup for those golfers not comfortable with the smaller, compact head of the CB or MB models.  

Play It or Trade It Score 20 out of 20. 

 

Total Score for Toura CB Irons is 96 out of 100. 

Buy them, you will not regret your purchase.  Find them at touragolf.com.

 

 

Edited June 16 by David Leighton Reid

[JRDuck40]

First off, I would like to give a HUGE thank you to Toura Golf and MGS for this opportunity to not only build a set of Toura Irons from scratch, but to also game them! This is legitimately one of the coolest opportunities to test I’ve ever heard of. Let alone being able to participate.

My name is Jim Duckett, 41 and live just outside of Milwaukee, WI with my amazing wife, Diana, two boys Ray & Ben and of course our pup, Ella.

 Our boys keep us busy with a ton of activities throughout the year. Summer is filled with chasing them around to multiple camps, practices, events, etc… But if you are going to get golf in, you need to get up early. I’m a dew sweeper for sure with an OK handicap, currently 6.1 and going to enter my 3rd attempt at WI State Amateur qualifying this July.

Outside of golf and family time, I also love to fish / spend time on our boat, take in Brewers baseball games and have a little bourbon collection as well. Up to 50+ bottles. (If you need a bourbon recommendation, feel free to DM me.)

During the ‘non-golf’ season in the frozen north, I stay loose with indoor sim league (shameless plug for www.stixgolfbar.com) and tinker with club building / customizations. Some of my more recent builds were making drivers for my boys. Sourced the heads, adapters / ferrules off of eBay. Shafts purchased from Golf Galaxy with grips pulled from my prior set of irons. Of course, one of them is a lefty…

 

A custom pain fill / oil can finish on a set of Callaway X Series wedges. A beat up old Ping Anser that I shined up and did a USA themed pain fill on.

 

Various hybrids / a new to me Titleist TS2 5 wood that is quickly becoming my favorite club in the bag. And this GEM of a Scotty that I traded one of my old bags for via FB Marketplace. The buyer knew what he had, but didn’t have the time or cash to bring it back to life. Smoke show of a putter. (And no, I did not do the full restoration. Sent it off to bosgolf.com. They do amazing work!)

Before BOS..... 

After... OOOOOO baby! 

But with any build, there can be challenges. For instance, trying to find a good source for adapters online. Thankfully quite a few that I source online are via eBay. The majority  do come in as advertised. But one in every few have been shipped incorrectly. Many of the shops do allow returns and are quick to act. Another FAIL was this old Vokey wedge that I attempted to do another Oil Can finish but neglected to remove the chrome finish first…. Ugh. When it comes to club making, quick is never the way. Take your time and do things right.

For the testing / build from Toura, I picked the Japan Forged CB blanks in chrome finish. I’ll be using True Temper S300 shafts. But from there on out, it is all custom baby! Over the course of the build, I’ll be sure to give shout outs to the companies / retailers that I’m sourcing. I’m a grip snob and as of late, fell in love with the UTx cords from Lamkin. A little sneak peek into the build, these are the grips I purchased from www.grips4less.com.

Best of luck to the other builders for this project.

@azstu324, @david leighton reid, @ctg44

They have all have some great ideas for customization that I am super jacked to see what they are all cooking up. I know @azstu324 has something up his sleeve that is going to turn some heads.

I cannot wait to see what you all come up with!

Thank you again to MGS and Toura for this once in a lifetime opportunity. Cannot wait to get the heads in house and get this build going.

STICKS HAVE BEEN DELIVERED!!!! Hoot hoot!!!! The self proclaimed "King of the Clubs" has a decree that all irons shall be released to the world and let golf rein! 

Haha. The boys really wanted to assist. Can't say no to that.

 

So Toura did an amazing job of packaging. Everything was bubble wrapped, with tissue paper and encased in plastic wrapping. Shafts individually wrapped and capped on both ends in tissue paper. I have purchased multiple shafts at times from many other online MAJOR retailers, and this type of kind touch is defiantly not the norm. Tip of the cap Toura! 

The heads. Oh my oh my the heads! This is just over packaging that I can get behind. Toura gives these beauties a plastic bag wrap with hosel plug. Then bubble wrap. Then it’s own individual Toura baggie. ON TOP OF THAT the heads are then wrapped in another bubble wrap package. WOW! If these things get damaged in transit, it is 100% on the carrier. Great work!

Also, who doesn't like a clean looking towel? Ummm I don't know. Not this guy. I love another golf towel! The wife, not so much. Haha.

Overall, they shipped everything very, very fast, packaged well. The cherry on top, each package has it’s own hyper cool Toura business card with QR code that states the package is 100% Toura. Kudos to this. In the world where many golf items are faked, this is nicely reassuring to the buyer. I like the idea. Please keep it up!

All in all, very happy with the delivery. The ONLY thing I would say as a criticism would be that they shipped via CPS / USPS. I am not a fan of the US Postal Service. Any time I ship anything, anywhere, anytime, my automatic fall back has been UPS. I have had many, many items “lost in transit” via USPS and have not been compensated even though insurance was purchased. This is my opinion, that’s it. I know many sellers / businesses that use USPS exclusively with almost zero issue. I cannot.

Overall boxing / shipment 9 / 10

 

NEXT UP….. Building time! Ooooo yeah!

Still waiting on ferrules to come in... Again, USPS, let's get it together... Just saying.

Exciting things coming up. Stay tuned spies! 

 

Build prep - getting ready! 

 

Sanding shafts - Day 1 

If you haven't been following, I'm going for a complete custom build. White painted shafts. Custom stamping on heads. Paint fill... etc. Sanding down the shafts is our first step. Next up..... PRIME TIME. 

Primer to the shafts to ensure that we have a good base coat for our white pear finish. After paint, we will be trimming shafts to length and really get things moving on the build. 

Stay tuned fellow spies. 

**** UPDATE *****

5-10-24

UGH!!!! Back to prepping the shafts.. yet again! Video update below. 

So with yet another hiccup in the build, we will be using ANOTHER vendor for the build. We are now up to; 

Tour Golf - https://touragolf.com/

3-2 Customs (custom ferrules) - https://www.32customs.com/

Washington County GC (bent heads to swing specs) - https://www.golfwcgc.com/

And NOW Shaft Wraps... to cover up the hot mess I made. Haha. BIG thank you to @TSauer for the suggestion! 

https://shaftwraps.com/

While we wait on the wraps to come in...

I have heads stamped and some of the paint fill done. Will take care of the remaining paint fill ASAP. 

The stamps that I used were... well best way to describe them are "seasoned". Each needed to be cleaned up quite a bit before using. But they did turn out pretty nice. 

I'll be sanding off all paint and getting back to the base layer for the shafts. I promise not to post yet another video of me just sanding shafts. 

After the shaft wraps are delivered, I will be able to finalize the build and do what we do best, TEST! 

Stay tuned spies! 

Update 5-15-24

WE HAVE WHITE SHAFTS FINALLY! 

With shafts now set, all we need to do is build! Unfortunately, this week, life / work / everything is getting in the way. Will HOPEFULLY find time to get this complete on Friday night / Saturday if possible. I have a dew sweeping tee time set for Brown Deer Park GC (the host of the GMO - IE Tigers first ever pro tourney) on Sunday AM and would love to play the www.touragolf.com CB's if at all possible. 

Update 5-22

Let's get some epoxy on shafts already! 

Grip installation went well. I will be taping up the grips and hitting the shafts with a few more coats of paint then some coating to lock in the white shaft. Excited to get the CBs on the track and start the fun portion of the process. GOLFING! 

 

5-26- UPDATE! 

I am VERY happy to announce that we have clubs complete! 

I was able to take them to the range and give all 7 irons a thorough go around. I'm going to save the full initial review for the video that I'll be posting ASAP. But just a peek into my initial thoughts. The www.touragolf.com CBs are launchers! 

Stay tuned spies! 
 

*******

Update 5/27/24

Was FINALLY able to get the CBs onto actual grass... albeit VERY wet grass. 

Was great to test the irons out and get a feel for what they can do. First results, I like it a lot. They are receptive. I'm still not able to draw the ball, but will leave this to more range sessions with them. Other than that, yardage / carry are very similar to my current gamer set (Takomo 101T 4-PW). 

Update 6/5/24

Full H2H testing Toura CBs vs Takomo 101T

This past weekend, I was invited to a Ryder Cup style event at Lawsonia / Mascutin golf courses. Perfect setting to test out the irons against one another.

Sizing, both irons are relatively the same in size from heel to toe. From there, the difference is pretty much all different. The Takomo is more of a forgiving look overall. Whereas the Toura CBs have a very menacing, blade style top line leading edge.
 

For feel, I have to give the edge to Toura. When you flush a shot, oh baby it feels like a hot knife through butter. On my 101Ts, you feel every shot, good and bad. The Toura also is crazy forgiving. I have a tendency to hit off the toe from time to time and the Toura still flies. The 101Ts will also allow this to an extent, but not to the same amount of distance. However, I am able to work the 101s a little more than the CBs, so far. Mind you, I had an entire winter / sim league and travel with the 101s and the CBs for only a few weeks now.

As of Tuesday the 4th, I have decided to put the CBs in the bag for the remainder of the summer. And my Takomos will be getting a little dusty, same as my 3 wood after this weekend, haha.

A few highlights, from the past weekend.

#8 – Mascutin / White 9 – Par 3, 190 yd.

Overcast, slight rain, but earlier in the day the rain was much more heavy. Hence why I did not hit the CBs. Wanted to keep the shafts dry to cure a little while longer.
Ended up hitting the 4 iron off the tee to around 10 feet. This was quite possibly made me want to make the switch from the 101s to the CBs. The feel on the CB was flush and smooth. On the 101s, it would’ve felt more mechanical and not as fluid. Also the turf interaction was again, silky, not clunky and hard to transition.

Another great example was my approach on the last hole for league this past Tuesday. Par 4, 340 yd, New Berlin Hills GC #9. Hit my 4 iron to 130 left. Front left pin location with traps pin high left and short right. Nowhere to miss essentially. Took out the 9 iron and flushed it to 15 feet. Oh, and I landed 4 feet past and sucked it back to 15 short. If you get the ball in the air, I don’t care if it’s the 4 iron, 7 iron or wedge, the CBs land soft and stick. Love it so far.

One downside, and this is partially on me, but somewhat one Toura. The durability.

Lawsonia has a lot of great things going on. Motorcycle Carts, yes you read that right. They are sick. Also both courses, The Links and Woodlands are in tip top shape. Greens roll like lightening. They all play at a relatively good pace, ~4:20 minutes. Free bottled water on every 1st and 10th holes. Also, the clubhouse / restaurant has a great menu. The biggest problem. Their driving range. It is a pit of despair. Almost after every shot, I had my club brush working overtime. The Takomos faired much better with the range than the Toura. The Toura CBs did end up getting a little torn up. Especially the 7i and PW. The 7i, pictured alongside my 101T 7i below, is even starting to show some sweet spot wear. I know clubs will never look new for long. Heck, they are being put through a gauntlet of sand, mud, dirt and grime each and every time out. But to have this happen after 5 rounds, it is a little concerning to me. (101T top, CB bottom)

But to be 100% honest, if you have a sweet spot wear on the face, that’s usually a good thing.

Onward.

******UPDATES****** 6-14

 

Edited June 14 by JRDuck40
Update on testing 6-14

[JRDuck40]

Final review

 

Holy COW! It’s been almost two months since this test launched and it feels quite a bit longer than that. Kids + Summer Vacay = Dad sweeping the dew yet again to sneak in a round or two. If you are just joining us, I was one of the very lucky testers to be running with the Toura 4 – PW Japan Forged CBs.

Below is a quick rundown of a H2H I ran on the Toura CB vs my current iron set, Takomo 101T. Toura in Red, Takomo in Green.

Initial Thoughts / Review (18.5 / 20)

Only deductions I do have against the Toura, is that we you are not able to have heads bent to our specifications (-1 point). This did set me back an additional $40 and change to have heads set to 2 degrees upright and 1 degree stronger for my setup. Also, the ½ point deduction was for shipping. Not a huge fan of USPS or Canada Post as I do buy and sell quite a few clubs / components online and I have had nothing but horrid luck with both. All that aside, the heads, shafts, grips and other components were packaged immaculately. Each head was packaged with, a plug on the hosel, wrapped in a plastic bag, which was inside of bubble wrap sealed bag then inside of yet another Toura labeled velour bag. (talk about an Inception themed flashback!) Wow. Not a chance these were getting damaged by anything in transit. Hence why they used government funded shipping. Lol. They also turned out pretty darn nice if I say so myself. 

The CBs performed very well on the sim test and initial range sessions. The dispersion was very tight compared to the 101Ts. Yardage was a little better as well. (I did have each head bent to 1 degree stronger). Also my mishits still travel well and do not fade hard, which does occur with the 101Ts. Feel off the face, ground interaction, overall look and feel were all on par if not better than what I currently have. 

On Course Review  

My first actual round with the Toura CBs was at one of the highest rated venues in all of Wisconsin, let alone in the Midwest. Lawsonia Golf – The Links. This course has hosted quite a few amateur events over the years and is always in the top rated courses in WI. The one thing that is NOT highly rated here is their driving range. Or as I call it, the sand pit. I did hit the Toura 7i a few times, along with the 5i and PW for warm ups. I did use a club brush after each shot to remove excess sand / dirt from the faces, but the balls and sand pit did do some wear to the faces. Mind you, I did the same with my other gamer set (Takomo 101T), and the Takomo finish held up quite a bit better than the Toura. Mind you the Takomo has a chrome finish where as the Toura has a minimal coating / finish on the raw heads. Which I do appreciate from an anti-glare prospective.

The Toura did perform quite admirably for the test. Unfortunately, because of my handicap and this particular event and the way things were set up, I was tossed to the back tees at nearly 7K yards which meant not a ton of iron shots for me. It was driver – hybrid or at best, driver 5i almost all day. Which I have no issues with. The long irons 4 thru 6 performed great. I had little to no issue getting the ball in the air and landing softly. The one thing that I will need to get used to is the check / backspin I receive from the Toura VS Takomo. Because of the higher launch angle and spin rate, I am finding myself needing to go after a lower launch angle or clubbing up because of the backspin on some shots. For instance, on the par 4 - 9th on our 3rd day (Lawsonia – Woodlands course) I had 155 yd, uphill to the pin. I decided on the 6 iron because of the spin I was generating on prior shots. This shot is a typical 7 iron for me. The 6 landed just past the pin, roughly 12-15 feet long, stuck and sucked back about 10 feet. Yes, I missed the bird. Haha. One other forgiveness example was from the same round, on the Par 3 13th, playing around 140 that day. I hit a very easy 8 iron, again landing just past the pin off to the right and ended up missing the green just right because of, you guessed it, spin. Mind you, we did get rained on all day Saturday, and the greens were quite receptive and soft.  My final shot that really knocks this home was at a league night, final approach on the 9th hole, Par 4 playing 340 yd this night – New Berlin Hills GC. Hit 4 iron with around 125 left to the pin. Uphill shot with a breeze into the green. Ended up hitting 9 iron pin high and again sucked it back below the hole. Mind you, again the rain deluge that is Wisconsin 2024, but 20 feet of spin is crazy. Especially with how furry / slow the greens were that particular day.

But I do have to say that with the CBs, I do feel that I have the ability to go after more greens than before. They have a silky smooth feel when you strike the ball. Even better with turf interaction VS my Takomo 101Ts. The blade like leading edge promotes more of a ball strikers feel. The top line either bodes confidence or gives you the shakes. One of my competitors even asked if these were beginner blades. I thought that was a great comparison. The top line does not give off confidence. It’s thin, blade like look, makes you think on your shot. Which I like. I need to reign in the mindset and hone in about what I’d like to do. Also, the lack of bounce on the irons does promote more of a ball strikers look and feel. This is good for full shots. Not around the greens where I typically like to use a 8i through all of my wedges 52 thru 60 depending on the lie / pin placement / runout, etc. This is where my Takomo set did out perform the Toura for the time being. With the more rounded edge and higher bounce on the sole, the Takomo 8i through PW does perform better chipping at this point than the Toura. But I’m sure a few 3 hour sessions at my home track will knock that out… Just need to ask permission from the ‘better half’ on that one. Haha.

I am loving the fact that each club is easy to hit. My shot shape is straight with a slight fade. On miss-hits, it still goes and the overall forgiveness of the irons is fantastic. Much easier to hit and keep online than my 101Ts.

On Course Score – (18/20)

Only 2 point reductions. The raw face is getting a little beaten up. But nothing I cannot live with (-1). The overall feel around the greens for chipping. The lack of bounce does bring up a little issue for me. But I am starting to get used to the 9i and PW. Have not tested the 8i all that much for chipping. Will be sure to keep that in mind for the ongoing review / test. (-1).

The Good / The Bad / The In Between….

So the good – The look. Wow these irons scream SMOKESHOW. I cannot tell you how many people came up and asked about the irons, where I got them, how they can they purchase, if I would build them a set. Almost everyone was shocked that the shafts were not graphite. When I said they were painted True Temper they flipped. The heads are holding up well. Also they’re now getting a little patina, especially on the stampings which I love. The turf interaction and the ability to launch the ball is nothing like I have ever played with previously. With prior sets, I did have issues from time to time with getting the ball to launch, especially with 4 and 5 irons. With the @Toura Golf CBs, zero issue. They are rockets. Love that.

The bad – because they are a raw iron, they do have a tendency to wear out…. And I mean quickly. As previously mentioned, the range session did wear in my 7i pretty quickly. It’s a new club, and yes it interacts with dirt, sand, mud, etc… I know it’s not going to be new for all that long, but 7 rounds and it looks worse than my normal gamers? Really? All of that being said, the grooves do clean up very easily, the face has some very ‘light wear’, the sole of the head also has a tendency to scuff up, but this is something I can easily live with. The other bad, at the moment, is the greenside play with 8 thru PW. I do use more than just my wedges for chipping and the leading edge and lack of bounce on the 8 thru PW on the Toura set does lead to some issues on quite a few of the courses I play. Not too many tight lies in and around SE Wisconsin. Typically light rough or thick grass greenside here. Not a deal breaker, just need some time to dial them in for my short game.

The In-Between…… Long irons / 8 through PW. With my 101Ts, I am a surgeon from 145 in. They have just enough spin to hold greens, check or back up when needed. I can work shots and my yardage is dialed. With the CBs, I am still finding my yardages with a few shots and having troubles with the spin rate with the center of gravity on the heads so low. Again, it is a cheat code to get the ball in the air. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate this. But on windy days, it is a problem. The last few rounds I have seen quite a bit of improvement with the CBs and have little to no issues with the 9i and PW. Just need a little more time with the 8i.

On the other hand, the Toura 4i thru 6i are so forgiving / launch the ball, it should be illegal and the USGA should seriously look into these cheaters… Haha, I kid of course. But in all seriousness, Toura vs Takomo 4 thru 6, I give the full edge to Toura. Well done Toura. Very well done indeed.  

G/B/IBT – (17/20)

Play it / Trade it.

They are in the bag. Zero question about it. The ability to hit a solid long iron, improved launch, soft landing and dialed back side spin rates vs my Takomo 101Ts, I would be stupid not to make the Toura CBs my daily gamer.

The plan for the remainder of the 24 season, I am going to play the Toura CBs to give them a fair shake. Blanks that I got to customize? Yes please! I mean, who gets to say that every day? Also, the long irons are just a pleasure to hit.

Lastly, to speak to the cost of the clubs themselves, for a fully customizable, DIY set of clubs, you cannot beat what Toura has to offer. If you truly want to stand out, make it your own, this is your one and only option IMO. They are a clubmakers dream set. That all being said, heads only option for $800 can seem a little steep for some. But if you look at what you will get, blank heads, forged from Japanese steel, it is as good as it gets. Also, if you do order the heads only, you get 8 sweet little Toura “money pouches” for each of the heads. I’m currently using them as tee pouches. Love it!

I will be playing it! (20/20)

In summery, I was shocked that the @Toura Golf CBs did this well. I thought I was locked in on my 101Ts and I was dead wrong. The CBs look and feel great. I am coming around on the short game after a few practice sessions over the past few weeks and very much have my yardages dialed in. Very excited to play Blackwolf Run this coming weekend and will for sure have some additional photos and updates for the thread.
I am really not trying to be overly positive for the review, but the CB 4 thru PW are cheat codes. They are quite easy to launch. The long irons land soft and stick. They look phenomenal and perform just as well. I love the crisp interaction and the feel with the turf is a hot knife through butter. They did a great job engineering this set and I would highly recommend these to anyone looking at either building a set themselves or purchasing them built from Toura. If you are looking for something that isn’t from the big 4 and you want that top quality, you need to put Toura on your short list of DTC.

www.touragolf.com

Overall Score (91.5 / 100)

Lastly, I would just like to say a BIG thank you to @Toura Golf and MyGolfSpy.com for this opportunity. It was a blast to build these from the ground up and I hope you run this test again and again. The interaction with all the fellow spies and readers was a treat. It was great to learn a few new things from the other testers and to see what everyone was up to. Club-making is an artform and I think that all of us, @azstu324 @ctg44 and @David Leighton Reid really brought their A game for this test. It was an honor to participate. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Edited June 21 by JRDuck40
Final Review

[Northern Monkey]

Congratulations

[GolferXY]

Good luck to the testers!   I expect a ton of videos, should be fun!  Some have all the tools, some have a more barebones technique.  Cool.

Edited April 30 by GolferXY

[sirchunksalot]

Congratulations everyone! This should be a fun test and it'll be interesting to dive into how y'all build your clubs. I'm looking forward to seeing the finished products!

[IndyBonzo]

What a unique test.  Congrats to all the testers!  This very novice tinkerer will be watching this one closely. 

[Jean D]

Congratulations to all of you!

[88Buster]

This will be an interesting one to follow.

[Rob Person]

5 hours ago, GolfSpy_APH said:

Calling all club builders! We have a very special testing opportunity for you! For many, it is more than just getting on the course and playing, but honing a craft and taking pride in installing and building each club in your bag. Those who want to customize each part of their golf clubs and make their bag stand out for the efforts they put into the build of their golf clubs.

About Toura Golf

Toura Golf was created out of the passion for golf club building. In search of a blank head with no logo, founder Jon found little to no options. So he decided to take matters into his own hands. He created Toura Golf for those like him who love to build their own golf clubs and have an appreciation for a pure forged product that stands out by not standing out. 

The Canadian company is known for their minimalist designs and producing limited quantities of heads as well as some one of a kind models. With wedges, putters, and full iron heads all available for purchase, Toura Golf is a club builder's dream. 

For those who prefer their clubs pre-built, Toura does offer a selection of shafts and grips in which a complete set can be purchased.

Please welcome and congratulate our testers/builders!

@azstu324 

@David Leighton Reid 

@ctg44 

@JRDuck40

We will also have a community vote for best build with a special badge for the winner! Stay tuned and no you cannot vote for @Josh Parker! haha

Congratulations all! Excited to see your creations in progress!

 

2 hours ago, GolferXY said:

Good luck to the testers!   I expect a ton of videos, should be fun!  Some have all the tools, some have a more barebones technique.  Cool.

Me too!

[ParFore74x]

Congratulations testers! I’m definitely looking forward to seeing the testers do this one. 

[Josh Parker]

I'm looking forward to following along on this one!  I had a great time building mine!

[Willie T]

5 hours ago, GolfSpy_APH said:

Calling all club builders! We have a very special testing opportunity for you! For many, it is more than just getting on the course and playing, but honing a craft and taking pride in installing and building each club in your bag. Those who want to customize each part of their golf clubs and make their bag stand out for the efforts they put into the build of their golf clubs.

About Toura Golf

Toura Golf was created out of the passion for golf club building. In search of a blank head with no logo, founder Jon found little to no options. So he decided to take matters into his own hands. He created Toura Golf for those like him who love to build their own golf clubs and have an appreciation for a pure forged product that stands out by not standing out. 

The Canadian company is known for their minimalist designs and producing limited quantities of heads as well as some one of a kind models. With wedges, putters, and full iron heads all available for purchase, Toura Golf is a club builder's dream. 

For those who prefer their clubs pre-built, Toura does offer a selection of shafts and grips in which a complete set can be purchased.

Please welcome and congratulate our testers/builders!

@azstu324 

@David Leighton Reid 

@ctg44 

@JRDuck40

We will also have a community vote for best build with a special badge for the winner! Stay tuned and no you cannot vote for @Josh Parker! haha

As a tinkerer of all things, including golf clubs, this club builder’s test is one I will enjoy following.  Who knows this may be how my next set of clubs happen….

[TJ Hall]

Congratulations testers…looking forward to seeing what you come up with!

[3Putt4Double]

Congrats.. This is a very interesting test..almost like testing a golfers knowledge against an engineers knowledge..can't wait for the results..rooting for the home team!

[Preeway]

Congrats, testers. One of the most unique tests by far. This should be really interesting to follow along with and see how you all choose to customize your clubs.

[bens197]

Love this testing and I am excited to follow along. This one may rank as one of the best opportunities ever offered. Good luck fellas!

[golfinnut]

Congrats everyone!  This is going to be fun.  Sure wish I had this opportunity, as I'm a huge club builder.  But I'll be following along your progress for sure.  

[russtopherb]

Congrats all! This is definitely one of the more unique opportunities here on MGS, I'm excited to see everyone's sets and hearing about how they perform.

[JRDuck40]

To say that we are all excited for this opp is an understatement! 

@azstu324 

@David Leighton Reid 

@ctg44 

Can't wait to see what you guys come up with. This is going to be a fun one. 

[TSauer]

Congrats, y'all! This is going to be a very fun one to follow. Cannot wait to see what you all whip up!

[azstu324]

Thanks MGS, mods, Toura Golf,  and everybody else!!! Intro will be up this evening. In the meantime, in the "greenroom" we've been having a ton of great discussions about customization and build ideas. This is going to be fun! 

Here's a little sneak peek of something I'm working on behind the scenes...

[Shrek74]

10 hours ago, GolfSpy_APH said:

Please welcome and congratulate our testers/builders!

@azstu324 

@David Leighton Reid 

@ctg44 

@JRDuck40

We will also have a community vote for best build with a special badge for the winner! Stay tuned and no you cannot vote for @Josh Parker! haha

Congrats testers!! I can't wait to see what you all come up with for builds. As a new builder, I'm also curious to hear your trials and tribulations during the process so hopefully I'll have a few things I'll know ahead of time to avoid. Good luck all!

[GolfSpy SAM]

Hear me now (and believe me later, to quote the great Hanz & Franz) : 

  You WILL want to be following this thread.  These guys are UNBELIEVABLY excited about building these out, and each person has a unique twist that will make your head swim.  I cannot WAIT to see the final results, but  more than that, to follow along and see the process unfold. 

  Trust me on this: it's going to be epic.

Congrats again, team!