Toura Golf Irons Build Test: 2024 Forum Review

[azstu324]

Starting the rust oxide bluing process with the 4i.. . Wish me luck!

[JRDuck40]

18 minutes ago, azstu324 said:

Starting the rust oxide bluing process with the 4i.. . Wish me luck!

Can't wait to see how that turns out. 

[Josh Parker]

35 minutes ago, azstu324 said:

Starting the rust oxide bluing process with the 4i.. . Wish me luck!

Can't wait to see how this turns out!  Such a cool testing experience and seeing everyone push the learning limits. 

[bama no 1]

5 minutes ago, Josh Parker said:

Can't wait to see how this turns out!  Such a cool testing experience and seeing everyone push the learning limits. 

Bet it looks great!!!!

41 minutes ago, azstu324 said:

Starting the rust oxide bluing process with the 4i.. . Wish me luck!

 

[ctg44]

6 hours ago, azstu324 said:

IMO thicker is always better than too thin. It usually relieves the need for shafting beads or shims. I'll definitely have to check it out! 

I would 100000% agree.  This is why I love the DP810NS epoxy so much. It's thick and sets fast to the point of being almost too quick to cure to build a club if you take your time and talk too long while doing a demo...which I did Friday night!  Let's just say we redid that video!

[azstu324]

Ok so the exact reason that I picked the 4i to start on. This rust bluing is something that you really can't come back from once you've started down the path. The face turned out great! But the back side had some issues.. and I know exactly why. I completely forgot to degrease the damn thing before starting. That is imperative! Dooohh!!! 

I'm really excited to do the next one though (correctly) as I was able to figure out a process to dip the club in the boiling water with as little contact as possible. 

Here's what it looks like with the rust solution coated on. This stuff does immediate work on raw steel. 

Here's the final product after about 5 repeat sessions of rusting and boiling. It's soaking in 10W 30 synthetic motor oil for about 8 hours. The. I clean it off and it's ready for paint fill. I just have to etch and blacken 6 more and then I can start building

Hoping for a much more consistent looking outcome on the next one. Just gotta remember to follow the steps!

Here's the stuff I used

 

[ctg44]

Only.6.more...OMG that would be driving me insane.  Nope...I'd have to build the 4 iron RIGHT NOW and go hit it!  Then again, my ADD is off the charts bad even at 50.

[TSauer]

2 minutes ago, azstu324 said:

Ok so the exact reason that I picked the 4i to start on. This rust bluing is something that you really can't come back from once you've started down the path. The face turned out great! But the back side had some issues.. and I know exactly why. I completely forgot to degrease the damn thing before starting. That is imperative! Dooohh!!! 

I'm really excited to do the next one though (correctly) as I was able to figure out a process to dip the club in the boiling water with as little contact as possible. 

Here's what it looks like with the rust solution coated on. This stuff does immediate work on raw steel. 

Here's the final product after about 5 repeat sessions of rusting and boiling. It's soaking in 10W 30 synthetic motor oil for about 8 hours. The. I clean it off and it's ready for paint fill. I just have to etch and blacken 6 more and then I can start building

Hoping for a much more consistent looking outcome on the next one. Just gotta remember to follow the steps!

Here's the stuff I used

 

Coming along nicely, I cannot wait to see the final results!

[azstu324]

9 minutes ago, ctg44 said:

Only.6.more...OMG that would be driving me insane.  Nope...I'd have to build the 4 iron RIGHT NOW and go hit it!  Then again, my ADD is off the charts bad even at 50.

Oh man my ADD and OCD are always in a constant battle! And they're both very persistent SOB's

ADD says DO IT NOW! While OCD says take your time, do it right, you'll thank me later. My head's a mess most of the time

 

[Josh Parker]

37 minutes ago, azstu324 said:

Ok so the exact reason that I picked the 4i to start on. This rust bluing is something that you really can't come back from once you've started down the path. The face turned out great! But the back side had some issues.. and I know exactly why. I completely forgot to degrease the damn thing before starting. That is imperative! Dooohh!!! 

I'm really excited to do the next one though (correctly) as I was able to figure out a process to dip the club in the boiling water with as little contact as possible. 

Here's what it looks like with the rust solution coated on. This stuff does immediate work on raw steel. 

Here's the final product after about 5 repeat sessions of rusting and boiling. It's soaking in 10W 30 synthetic motor oil for about 8 hours. The. I clean it off and it's ready for paint fill. I just have to etch and blacken 6 more and then I can start building

Hoping for a much more consistent looking outcome on the next one. Just gotta remember to follow the steps!

Here's the stuff I used

 

These are going to be bad a$$!

[TJ Hall]

1 hour ago, azstu324 said:

Ok so the exact reason that I picked the 4i to start on. This rust bluing is something that you really can't come back from once you've started down the path. The face turned out great! But the back side had some issues.. and I know exactly why. I completely forgot to degrease the damn thing before starting. That is imperative! Dooohh!!! 

I'm really excited to do the next one though (correctly) as I was able to figure out a process to dip the club in the boiling water with as little contact as possible. 

Here's what it looks like with the rust solution coated on. This stuff does immediate work on raw steel. 

Here's the final product after about 5 repeat sessions of rusting and boiling. It's soaking in 10W 30 synthetic motor oil for about 8 hours. The. I clean it off and it's ready for paint fill. I just have to etch and blacken 6 more and then I can start building

Hoping for a much more consistent looking outcome on the next one. Just gotta remember to follow the steps!

Here's the stuff I used

 

This is awesome looking.  Love the creativity and thinking the final assembly is going to be amazing!

[JRDuck40]

4 hours ago, azstu324 said:

Ok so the exact reason that I picked the 4i to start on. This rust bluing is something that you really can't come back from once you've started down the path. The face turned out great! But the back side had some issues.. and I know exactly why. I completely forgot to degrease the damn thing before starting. That is imperative! Dooohh!!! 

I'm really excited to do the next one though (correctly) as I was able to figure out a process to dip the club in the boiling water with as little contact as possible. 

Here's what it looks like with the rust solution coated on. This stuff does immediate work on raw steel. 

Here's the final product after about 5 repeat sessions of rusting and boiling. It's soaking in 10W 30 synthetic motor oil for about 8 hours. The. I clean it off and it's ready for paint fill. I just have to etch and blacken 6 more and then I can start building

Hoping for a much more consistent looking outcome on the next one. Just gotta remember to follow the steps!

Here's the stuff I used

 

That is just sick looking! Can't wait to see the end result!

[JRDuck40]

Update to the build. We are onto sanding shafts.  

If you are wondering, WHY ARE YOU SANDING SHAFTS? 

For the build, I decided to go with full white shafts. I tried purchasing full white shafts for the build, but the few vendors that do offer it, only offer this with cut and tipped shafts. I didn't want to deny that portion of the build for the viewers, so we are DIYing it! 

Next up, we will be hitting shafts with primer. Stay tuned fellow spies! 

[azstu324]

49 minutes ago, JRDuck40 said:

Update to the build. We are onto sanding shafts.  

If you are wondering, WHY ARE YOU SANDING SHAFTS? 

For the build, I decided to go with full white shafts. I tried purchasing full white shafts for the build, but the few vendors that do offer it, only offer this with cut and tipped shafts. I didn't want to deny that portion of the build for the viewers, so we are DIYing it! 

Next up, we will be hitting shafts with primer. Stay tuned fellow spies! 

Dude you're going big! Love it!!

Speaking of getting lofts and lies checked, this is where I was at this afternoon...

This is my guy Greg working his magic.

Edited May 7 by azstu324

[Willie T]

On 5/5/2024 at 4:27 PM, azstu324 said:

Alright so 1 club down with  the etching. I'll be completely honest, the 4 iron is going to be my sacrificial test club for both the etching and rust oxide bluing. Innnnn the event that something doesn't quite turn out, I can live without the 4 iron. Quite frankly this one scares the hell out of me anyway . 

Also I know didn't quite center the MGS logo perfectly and that will drive my OCD up a wall. I'll definitely make sure the rest of the set is centered. There's a lot less room to work with on the 4 than the rest. 

Bonus points if you can figure out what Spy 22 is for... Hint: which iron did I use for this? 

This is a process that I picked up on the old interwebs. It uses an electrolyte solution and electrolysis to create the etch. Super cool and a great alternative to stamping. 

Here is a thread that I actually started last week. Learning this process may have been the result of me hoping that I'd get picked for this

Wedge Electro-etching project

Here is the video that I've been watching. 

 

My objective is to complete the etching on all of the clubs, have the lofts/lies check, and then lies adjusted, the. Complete the blackening process.. then begin the build. 

More to come! 

 

Many thanks on the metal etching link - those are going to be some crazy kewl looking clubs.  You guys are taking this build to a full blown custom level....love, love, love it! 

[Willie T]

On 4/30/2024 at 12:40 AM, azstu324 said:

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!

Finally slowed down enough to watch the intro video - great job Stu....Had to laugh out loud at the onion slice edge you demoed! 

[Willie T]

On 5/3/2024 at 1:24 AM, azstu324 said:

To get us kicked off, and while I'm waiting for my unboxing video to upload, here's a little Zen ASMR video from the factory where these were made.

 

 

 

There is something about the forging process that has always intrigued me....When I think about it, it takes me back to my first clubs (still have) - MacGregor Mike Souchak series irons.  They still hit well and when I take them out, folks tell me over and over, "Those take me back a few years" and "I was never able to hit blades".  

[azstu324]

Nicely played BB&F.. nicely played 

[ctg44]

38 minutes ago, azstu324 said:

Nicely played BB&F.. nicely played 

Ok, look here, you're making us all look like amateurs here with that level of craftsmanship Stu! LOL!  You and JR haven't even put all your clubs together, but between painted shafts for JR, but it's looking like David and I will be fighting for 3rd place in this build contest! 

 

I guess I'll have to try and win people over with a steady stream of data from regular trips to the simulator at PGA Superstore.  I made another visit last night and will get that data pulled down from my email and put into my post tonight (unless I go back and hit the clubs some more after work, at which point, reporting will be delayed until tomorrow).

[azstu324]

17 minutes ago, ctg44 said:

Ok, look here, you're making us all look like amateurs here with that level of craftsmanship Stu! LOL!  You and JR haven't even put all your clubs together, but between painted shafts for JR, but it's looking like David and I will be fighting for 3rd place in this build contest! 

 

I guess I'll have to try and win people over with a steady stream of data from regular trips to the simulator at PGA Superstore.  I made another visit last night and will get that data pulled down from my email and put into my post tonight (unless I go back and hit the clubs some more after work, at which point, reporting will be delayed until tomorrow).

Oh trust me.. be glad you took the conventional route. I'm only 2 heads in with SO much to do. The actual build will be the easy part. Hopefully I can gain some ground today with the kids in school and the day off. 

[JRDuck40]

Another BIG shout out to Toura, https://touragolf.com/, for this opportunity. Please be sure to check out their clubs. I can honestly say, I am super impressed by the heads so far. Very excited to complete the build and get them on the course. 

Up next for the build, as advertised, we are onto primer. 

If you are ever painting metal, or anything for that matter, you NEED to use primer to ensure that you have a good quality surface to paint beforehand. Always make sure to clean your surface before any paint. Hence why night 1, we hit each shaft with the belt sander and then air compressor / quick wipe down to ensure we have a good surface for the initial primer coat. 

Heads are currently in the trusting hands of Washington County GC and their master club builder. I've been using WCGC a few times on prior builds to have clubs bent to my specs. They do a great job and turn stuff very quickly. https://www.golfwcgc.com/

Next steps for the build are;

I will be hitting the shafts with an initial coat of white high gloss enamel paint.

From there we need to let it set and then one additional coat. More time to dry and then onto the high gloss finish. 

From here, we will start cutting shafts and prepping the tip for install. YES, you do need to prep the tip of the shaft by sanding it down to ensure you have metal on metal when doing the install. This goes for ANY shaft you are working with (epically graphite) to insure that you have a good surface for the bonding agent to connect with the head of the club / adapter tip (if you're working on FW / Hybrid head with adapters). 

Install ferrules and heads. Let them set... Usually takes around 3 to 4 hours. I let mine set for at least a full day before I continue work. 

From here, it's grip install and then we are going to be set for real world testing. 

Stay tuned fellow spies! 

JRD

 

[TSauer]

12 hours ago, azstu324 said:

Nicely played BB&F.. nicely played 

Man, that finish turned out phenomenal! I am going to have to learn that process so I can get it added to my resume.

[JRDuck40]

Update…

sorry but no video tonight. Storms around us all day, but was able to get shafts painted. Onto the main build! Let’s go!

 

[azstu324]

Ok made some really good progress today. Got all the heads etched and 3 fully blued (black). I actually re did the 1st 2 and they came so much better! The 3rd is currently in an oil soak for the night. I hope to get 2 more blued before I call it a night, then the remaining 2 tomorrow. Thennnnn I have to figure out my paint fill scheme and figure out if I can actually pull that off. Thinking Copper MGS emblem and silver club #. I'm still undecided if I want to paint the Spy #. 

I apologize that I haven't yet posted my intro to building video yet. I decided that I actually want to get to the part where I'm actually ready to build so that may be this weekend. So far though, everything's coming along as planned. 

[GolfSpy_APH]

5 hours ago, azstu324 said:

Ok made some really good progress today. Got all the heads etched and 3 fully blued (black). I actually re did the 1st 2 and they came so much better! The 3rd is currently in an oil soak for the night. I hope to get 2 more blued before I call it a night, then the remaining 2 tomorrow. Thennnnn I have to figure out my paint fill scheme and figure out if I can actually pull that off. Thinking Copper MGS emblem and silver club #. I'm still undecided if I want to paint the Spy #. 

I apologize that I haven't yet posted my intro to building video yet. I decided that I actually want to get to the part where I'm actually ready to build so that may be this weekend. So far though, everything's coming along as planned. 

So this was so cool I had to screenshot and share it with basically all of the HQ team. Well done!

[ejgaudette]

This has been an amazing follow and love seeing the creativity folks are bringing to this test. @azstu324 that work to get the MGS logo on there is so cool and not something I ever thought as something folks at home could do. @JRDuck40 has me wanting to paint some shafts to add a nice pop of color to the clubs. Keep the amazing content coming.

[Rob Person]

I feel like I'm watching through a daily episode of some wild "custom build " reality show!

This is just awesomeness!

[Josh Parker]

6 hours ago, azstu324 said:

Ok made some really good progress today. Got all the heads etched and 3 fully blued (black). I actually re did the 1st 2 and they came so much better! The 3rd is currently in an oil soak for the night. I hope to get 2 more blued before I call it a night, then the remaining 2 tomorrow. Thennnnn I have to figure out my paint fill scheme and figure out if I can actually pull that off. Thinking Copper MGS emblem and silver club #. I'm still undecided if I want to paint the Spy #. 

I apologize that I haven't yet posted my intro to building video yet. I decided that I actually want to get to the part where I'm actually ready to build so that may be this weekend. So far though, everything's coming along as planned. 

 

6 hours ago, JRDuck40 said:

Update…

sorry but no video tonight. Storms around us all day, but was able to get shafts painted. Onto the main build! Let’s go!

 

You guys are knocking it out of the park!!!  These builds are going to be amazing!  

The clubs are awesome to hit as well.

[Shrek74]

As I continue to gather stuff for my own Maltby build, seeing what you all are doing has my mind blowing up with thoughts and ideas.

I need to keep some popcorn next to my desk to see what awesomeness comes next!

[azstu324]

4 hours ago, GolfSpy_APH said:

So this was so cool I had to screenshot and share it with basically all of the HQ team. Well done!

Oh snap.. so now the pressure's really on! .