Are Tour Edge and their Exotics lineup becoming a driver company?
If you have been paying attention to the past few releases like the Tour Edge Exotics EXS 220, EXS Pro, and C721 which we have reviewed in detail here at THP, then you know that the above question has got a lot of merit.
As someone who has had the fortune of being the one reviewing those drivers and put a couple into the bag, I was excited to see just where Tour Edge might go this year as the decision to split the lineup into two different parts (“E” and “C”) based on what they learned from their Hot Launch offerings seems to be a savvy one. When we received the new C722 in for full review, I was even more excited.

Quick Take
The C722 driver still stands out visually with Tour Edge’s unique Ridgeback design, but this iteration finds a much cleaner, traditional, shaping and 445cc profile that is a more polished visual than anything we have seen from the company to date. It also offers eye opening playability with an evolved and expanded Diamond Face and two adjustable weights that actually work. This goes toe to toe with the biggest named “better player” drivers out there and holds its ground.
Evolution of a Design
The C722 is obviously the follow up to the C721 which wowed golf reviewers everywhere for both being different than the rest and performing as good as anything on the market. Well, it is a follow up…but it also isn’t.
As mentioned, Tour Edge has split the 722 releases into two parts. On one side, the E722 which is the everyman’s (or everywoman’s) club focused on maximizing playability, launch, and forgiveness. The other is taken up by the C722 and the creation of clubs which even the most discerning and demanding “better players” out there enjoy hitting and looking at as it checks the boxes of versatility and performance.

The C722 is deeper faced than its E722 sibling and comes in at 445cc rather than the 460cc of the E. Additionally, there are two moveable weights in the C722 that are centered in two ports on the sole allowing for front and back adjustability. The weights are 5g and 20g and according to Tour Edge they not only shift the MOI from 4400 (front) to 4900 (back), but in their testing can result in a +/- 300 RPM change…but more on that soon.
Ridgeback is still present, and its still going to be a love it or leave it kind of thing, although they made it 20% thinner this year and at setup it looks much cleaner, and with the 445cc size the overall package to my eyes is much more polished and finished than the C721. Not only does the redesigned Ridgeback allow for more carbon fiber wrap around to offset 26% of the titanium weighting in the crown and sole which allowed Tour Edge to further tune the CG than they could in the previous version, but it also connects to a sole with more rigidity making for more speed efficiency.

Add in the next evolution of Diamond Face which extends out to the edge of the face and uses 61 diamonds in 7 thicknesses compared to only 43 and 7 in last years release and you have a lot to wrap your head around design wise. But does it perform?
Tour Edge Exotics C722 Driver
I received the C722 driver in 9.5 degrees and it was paired with a Project X Riptide which I played previously in the C721 and EXS Pro drivers before, so the familiarity was there for me to really dial in on how differently the head performed.

As mentioned, visually this one is much more finished looking. The finish appears cleaner and of a higher quality and the overall engraving on the sole looks like it belongs. This is the kind of visual that will stand out in a store and on a rack, and that is precisely what a company like Tour Edge needs. Some still won’t get over Ridgeback, but with the traditional shape and compact nature of the 445cc is looks quite good.

At impact, the C722 is unique, but so too was the C721. There is nothing else out there with this type of mix and application of carbon fiber joining forces with titanium and it is because of that the sound/feel is so different. Rather than the pure carbon “crack” you expect with this much fiber in it given the wings from crown to sole, you are instead met with metallic meets solid. It has a little resonance to it, and it will turn some heads, but it isn’t what I would call loud. It is unique.
I worked the driver out both on the course as well as a Foresight launch monitor to see just what was going on with the head, particularly when the weight was shifted. The data for heavy forward, and heavy back, are below:


What does it all mean? Simply put, that the C722 does what Tour Edge has designed it to do.
As you can see, I saw a 534 RPM average difference from the weight being moved, that is more than the 300 RPM which Tour Edge claims, and honestly it was pretty eye popping for me. More than the spin, what stood out was how the flight itself changed almost entirely, with the peak coming way down when the 20g was forward given the almost 1-degree change in launch and much lower spin. The other thing that might stand out is the speed, but this is exactly what moving more weight low and forward does, it adds ball speed potential.

While all the data is fun to dive into, it is the actual on course experiences that always lead to the final verdict for me. The C722 is without a doubt the most stable 445cc driver I have hit, having played the EXS Pro which was also a smaller head for an entire year, that doesn’t even sit in the same realm as the C722 for stability and forgiveness. This remains a very neutral to slightly open head at setup, but I was still able to release the club easily and turn the ball over as I wanted or hold it off and hit that tiny fade. But it was on the extremes of the face that it became clear Tour Edge did its homework, and Diamond Face is absolutely one of the best performing face designs out there.

Once again, the Exotics lineup is standing up, and standing out, even in a year which has arguably the best performing driver lineup from top to bottom, maybe ever. It is clearly a lower spinning setup which has some demand to it, and as such it won’t fit everyone, but if the C722 driver doesn’t check the boxes you need then perhaps a look at the E722 will let you find what you are looking for. Either way, well done by Tour Edge on this one, their run most definitely is continuing.
The Details
Available: Now
Price: $429.99
Lofts: 9.5 and 10.5 (RH and LH)
Adjustability: +/- 2 Degrees
Shaft Options: Fujikura AIR Speeder, Fujikura Ventus (Red/Blue), Mitsubishi Tensei AV RAW (Orange, White, Blue)
I know this isn’t a C722 question, but…
I was in a golf shop with used clubs and saw a used Tour Edge driver, I don’t remember which one, but there was an “F” on the hosel. Does that signify it was built/set with either a Fade or Flat lie? Just curious if it was that or a way to mark the club for a fitting cart only or maybe related to Tour use.
Thanks
The C722 just continues to impress. Played today and had 3 different seasons in about 3 hours (snow, rain, clouds and wind). The weather wasn’t optimal but this driver just wanted to go straight. It held its line very well into the wind and overall produced a nice ball flight that just continued to carry.
[QUOTE=”jbuck31, post: 10574883, member: 43770″]
The C722 just continues to impress. Played today and had 3 different seasons in about 3 hours (snow, rain, clouds and wind). The weather wasn’t optimal but this driver just wanted to go straight. It held its line very well into the wind and overall produced a nice ball flight that just continued to carry.
[/QUOTE]
Gotta love this weather right now
So after a couple of weeks with the C722 I have confirmed the E722 fits me better. I have one more “test” with the C722, but so far the other 4 times I’ve swung the C722 I’ve had better results with the E722. Today I did hit 3 absolute bombs with the C722 but I’d take 10y less carry for a ball in the fairway. I carried the ball with the C722 265+ 3 times on the flat virtual sim range and had spin in the low 2k range but one was a hook, playable, maybe. Two others were pushes far right where I didn’t close the face and flew 265+ in the air…long shots, but when it’s 40+ yards offline to the right it’s not in play on many courses. If you can control the club face of the C722, it’s a bomber, but for me the E722 will be the one in my bag when I play with some other THPers on Sunday
Weight in the front on the C722 is not good for me no matter what loft setting I put the club in. I don’t know if it’s a mental block and I’m swing differently, but I either get low duck hooks or spin more than my E722 with the weight forward.
Weight back I see a few hundred RPMs less than the E722 which is to be expected.
After some sim time today with the C722, I just feel more confident in the E722 and will keep that in the “on course” bag. The C722 has the ball speed potential as I was getting a few more MPH with it over the E722, but for me getting the off chance low spin hook is not playable on course.
Another round in with the C722 and another round that confirms it’s a great driver for me. I had one big miss to the right but that was all on me–just a terrible swing when I was in a rush as the group in front of us waived us through. Other than that, I had great control of it today.
I know the C722 is supposed to be the less forgiving of the 722 lineup . But this driver continues to amaze me With how well it keeps you in play.
My swing felt “rushed” last night and most of my drives, the contact was on the heel. I went 5/7 fairways hit and the ones I missed were just off and very playable. Distance was about average so that was a bonus.
I continue to be impressed with the Diamond Face and Ridgeback technology.
I was messing around with the weights and loft on the simulator the other night and moved the heavy weight to the front and lofted all the way down to 7.5* degree. I was still seeing good launch and good forgiveness so I played today with the driver in those settings. On my bad swings, as I’ve said before with the heavy weight forward the miss is worse. With the heavy weight in the back, this driver is crazy forgiving. I wanted to see what a full round with the weights would play out during an entire round. I have recently gone from a players distance iron to a blade/cavity back combo set and switching the weights feels like a similar move–l could get away with a lazy swing with the players distance irons but not so much a blade.
Even with the weight forward, the C722 is very playable. I was 3/6 on fairways today with it, including a missed fairway on the first hole after no warm-up. Moving the weights would have helped me get in the fairway on the other misses. No issues with hitting the ball too low, even at 7.5. I will play the round with the same set up and if my thoughts change.