Tour Edge considers themselves the pound-for-pound leader in golf equipment innovation and performance, and it’s hard to argue with that position. They are consistently able to offer unique, proprietary designs while maintaining prices that make advanced technology accessible to almost every budget. Unlike several other lower-cost options, DTC (Direct to Consumer) equipment brands for example, Tour Edge handles all their own research, development, and testing in their home state of Illinois. Dan Edwards, host of the Off Course podcast, spent an hour talking to designer Matt Neeley in the fall of 2022, and Neeley’s experience and passion clearly illustrate what the company can offer consumers.
In a quest to appeal to almost every type of player out there, Tour Edge is bringing their Exotics 723 series of irons to market this coming Spring. Featuring four (maybe three-and-a-half is more accurate) sets of irons, consumers should be able to match their specific needs when it comes to looks, feel, playability, and distance.
Exotics E723 Irons
The “E” or Extreme line is all about maximizing distance and forgiveness, and it’s loaded with technologies to make these things a reality. As should be expected, this is the largest, most offset club in the 723 series. At first glance, this iron clearly communicates to consumers what it’s been designed to do.
While the E723 may first appear to be a hollow body iron, it’s not and we will discuss exactly how that shakes out later. That appearance, along with Tour Edge’s clean styling, should make the backside of the iron quite attractive to the eye, especially in the bag. Even with the added size, the E723’s lightly cambered bottom line will make it playable from less-than-desirable lies. Another shaping decision, the softened and slightly wider sole, should also enhance forgiveness when it comes to heavy contact. In addition to the styling features, the E723 has a great deal of technology that isn’t as immediately visible.
360 Undercut Design
As noted above, even though the E723 iron has the appearance of being a hollow-body, it has an expanded undercut cavity. This allows for a great deal of weight manipulation, which is exactly what Tour Edge has done with the design.
It’s plainly evident in the picture above that the expansive cavity enabled Tour Edge to move a huge portion of the club’s mass low and far behind the face. Most of us are aware of the benefits that type of positioning offers, but in case you aren’t, this will aid in delivering a high launch angle at impact. To bolster that high launch, the face can more freely flex and provide maximum ball speeds.
VIBRCOR Technology
VIBRCOR is Tour Edge’s answer to always present issues of feel and sound when it comes to cavity back irons. It’s a high-grade TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane) material they inject deep into the cavity. TPU is an interesting material in that it shares attributes of both plastic and rubber, so it’s flexible but also very durable.
Tour Edge believes VIBRCOR significantly alters the feel of the E723 while producing more stability (because it enables more weight manipulation) and ball speed, especially off center. Their claims go as far as to say VIBRCOR offers a sound and feel like a forged iron, which isn’t an easy task to accomplish with such an aggressive cavity.
Diamond Face VFT
Diamond Face VFT (Variable Face Thickness) is featured on almost every club in the 723 line, aside for the forged iron offerings. This technology, which used to be mostly exclusive to metalwoods, is a way to increase the club face’s efficiency when creating ball speed, especially with off-center contact.
Tour Edge tells us there are 103 diamond shapes across the entire face of the E723 iron that function as mini-trampolines to create faster ball speeds. There are three different thickness profiles across the face, with a thickness reduction on the heel and toe to promote the highest possible efficiency for balls struck in either location.
Extreme Toe Weighting
Tour Edge has taken more of the weight made available by the 360 Undercut Cavity and positioned it on the high toe in the rear portion of the club along with a new toe weighting pocket. This not only increases stability on shots hit on the toe, but it also moves the center of gravity right behind the center of the face. This will provide the best possible feel on center impacts while giving maximum forgiveness to those of us with the very common toe miss.
Details
- Stock Shafts: KBS TGI Tour Graphite 50 L, Tensei AV Blue 65 A/R/S/X, Project X HZRDUS Black Gen 4 80 R/S/X, True Temper Elevate 95 MPH R/S, KBS Tour Steel R/S/X
- Available Lofts in Right-Handed – #4 iron/19°, #5 iron/21.5°, #6 iron/24°, #7 iron/27.5°, #8 iron/32°, #9 iron/37°, PW/42°, AW/46°, GW/51° SW/56°
- Retail Price:
- $114.99 each in graphite /$799.99 for 7-piece set in graphite
- $99.99 each in steel /$699.99 for 7-piece set in steel
- Additional no-upcharge shaft options available
- Available worldwide on March 1, 2023
- Pre-orders start February 8, 2023
Exotics C723 Irons
C stands for Competition, but Tour Edge typically refers to the C723 as a “player’s distance” iron. Though categories of irons can be ambiguous, it’s not hard to see what the company is doing here. With less offset and blade-length, the hollow-body C723 should appeal to the player that wants a slightly smaller head that provides as much distance and forgiveness as possible.
Tour Edge’s clean company branding and the hollow-body design combine to create a sleek look from the rear, though it’s not quite in the realm of the “faux-blade” some companies are producing. As with the E723 irons, we see some slight camber on the bottom line and a gentle softening of the sole’s leading and trailing edges.
Hollow-body Design with Player Preferred Shaping
The C723 is 5% smaller, has a shorter blade length, and thinner topline, which should all serve to appeal to players looking for a more compact look in the bag and at address. The hollow-body design gives Tour Edge the flexibility to provide this look to consumers while packing the iron with game-improving technology.
By removing so much of the weight from the center portion of the iron, it can be situated in a manner that delivers the forgiveness that only perimeter weighting can provide. In addition, it’s evident in the design photos that there is a great deal of weight low behind the face. While not as extreme as in the E723, this will work well with the slightly-more-traditional loft gapping of the iron set. Finally, and probably most exciting to those looking for high ball speeds, the face is extremely thin and able to flex at impact.
Military Grade Maraging Steel L-Cup Face
With its high strength-to-weight ratio, the steel used for the C723 iron’s face is also used in the aerospace industry for things like landing gear and rocket motor cases. It is plasma welded to the 17-4 stainless steel body, forming the hollow body head.
The C723’s face is Tour Edge’s thinnest to date, allowing it to flex along the entire surface. The L-Cup acts as a hinge and is designed to provide accuracy and the highest possible efficiency on off-center impact.
VIBRCOR Technology and Diamond Face VFT
While C723 has unique head and face designs, it shares both VIBRCOR Technology and Diamond Face VFT with the E723, albeit in slightly different configurations. The face has 92 Diamond shapes due to the smaller head size.
Though the TPU material serves the same purposes (primarily feel enhancement), the C723’s hollow-body design means that Tour Edge was able to inject it into the entire pocket instead of just one area. This is designed to create optimal feel that should immediately be noticeable.
Details
- Stock Shafts: KBS TGI Tour Graphite 50 L, Tensei AV Blue 65 A/R/S/X, Project X HZRDUS Black Gen 4 80 R/S/X, True Temper Elevate 95 MPH R/S, KBS Tour Steel R/S/X
- Available Lofts in Right-Handed – #3 iron/19, #4 iron/21°, #5 iron/23°, #6 iron/26.5°, #7 iron/30°, #8 iron/34°, #9 iron/39° PW/44°, AW/49°
- Retail Price:
- $144.99 each in graphite /$999.99 for 7-piece set in graphite
- $129.99 each in steel /$899.99 for 7-piece set in steel
- Additional no-upcharge shaft options available
- Available worldwide on March 1, 2023
- Pre-orders start February 8, 2023
Exotics Pro 723 Irons
The Pro 732 iron is a true player’s cavity that was designed based on feedback from Tour Edge’s Tour staff. Forging and precision milling work together to offer top-level control and feedback, while added technologies enhance the iron’s forgiveness and playability.
Though the Pro 723 is a player’s forging, it’s slightly larger than some others in the segment and has a fairly aggressive loft structure. While this may not be the tiniest player’s cavity on the market, it seems to be in a great middle ground that will meet the needs of a wider swath of players. Maybe there’s a lesson to learned here, as these design features were requested by some of the world’s best players.
Player Shaped Forgiveness
It should be easy to find things to love about the shaping and technology in the Pro 723 series. Yes, the most discerning eyes out there may not love the “slightly larger” label, but this does afford Tour Edge the opportunity to pack in more playability. The CNC milled cavity is also a bit larger in size, but rather than move weight to the perimeter, it’s been positioned low and in the center of the club face.
Aside from offering some added forgiveness, this weight positioning is going to improve feel and control. In addition, the slightly more aggressive loft structure will benefit from the added launch a lower CG position encourages. Still, the design here doesn’t affect the top line or look at address negatively. It could be a true best-of-both-worlds scenario for many consumers.
Meticulous Machining Process
Tour Edge is proud of the fact that each Pro 723 iron head undergoes over an hour of CNC milling to precise tolerances. The milling occurs post-forging and starts with the face, carving out the grooves with the goal of maintaining consistent spin for each iron.
The cavity is then milled, along with heel and toe pockets. This process creates the thinnest possible face for better off-center efficiency while retaining all the great feel we expect from a head of this type.
VIBRCOR Filled Cavity and Center Cavity Pad
Interestingly, Tour Edge does incorporate their TPU VIBRCOR into the Pro 723 irons. While the cavity is much, much smaller than the one on the E723, it is still a cavity. Inserting the VIBRCOR into this space means that players will have the forgiveness benefits without sacrificing feel.
Unlike the rest of the Pro 723 iron face, not to mention the faces of both the C and E series irons, the center of the Pro is bolstered with a thick slug of steel directly behind the hitting area. This design will reward center impacts with better feel, along with added power and control.
Details
- Stock Shafts: TrueTemper Dynamic Gold 105 R/S/X
- Available Lofts in Right-Handed – #3 iron/20°, #4 iron/22°, #5 iron/25°, #6 iron/28°, #7 iron/32°, #8 iron/36°, #9 iron/40° PW/44°, AW/48°
- Retail Price:
- $169.99 each in steel /$1189.99 for 7-piece set in steel
- Available worldwide on March 1, 2023
- Pre-orders start February 8, 2023
Exotics BL Proto Iron
Though there’s a good chance many readers will never see them in person, the BL Proto iron is an exciting, albeit limited, addition to Tour Edge’s 2023 line. This is a forged, precision milled blade that is unlike anything else on the market, thanks to the unique preferences of Tour legend Bernhard Langer. With only around 100 sets available, finding one will be a challenge, but Tour Edge chief designer, David Gold, believes they will fill a niche in the marketplace.
Langer put the first prototypes into play at the 2022 Masters and Tour Edge took his feedback into mind when tweaking the original design. Details on the Proto’s design are sparse, but we do know the long irons have tungsten plugs directly behind the face. Most interestingly is that, per Langer’s request, the BL Protos feature a substantial amount of offset. The company recommends keeping your eye on their social media channels for information on how and when they will be available.
That’s a hugely broad and impressive range.
TEEm is going to have a blast this year.
Great review. I could see myself playing the E version.
I’ll wait to see the E723 in person, however I feel like the looks aren’t as appealing (to me) as the E722 line last year. That said, looks are just a part of the equation and I’m betting these perform awesome. Last year’s release’s looks really did an awesome job of hiding the actual size of the iron head. Different tech and releases of course. Either way, love to see TEE coming out with such solid releases at great price points.
I wish the look was a little cleaner on the C’s without the black vibrcor strip across the back, but they appear to look really nice at address! Sounds like these could help my toe strikes :LOL:
Looks like a good update to these irons. The c722/e722 irons were probably the most underrated irons last year.
I’m insanely interested in those C723’s. Hell, I’m very interested in all three mainline releases. Even the Pro has more forgiveness packed in than you’d normally see.
That is a lot to unpack [USER=1193]@Hawk[/USER]. Lots of details on the tech I will need to reread. I absolutely loving what TEE is doing with their irons this year.
Fantastic article and it has a lot to unpack. Those Pro irons are amazing looking, but I would be more inclined to test out the C lineup.
Wow, TEE is going all in on the irons this year! Great to see them putting so much effort into this segment, and it sounds like they are hitting it out of the park on all of the variations. Irons are the only TEE clubs that I’ve never had in my bag, but I can easily see the C723s being a good fit.
wow that is quite the lineup for TE. I like what I am seeing out of the C723 as they continue to try and shrink it down, and the Pro 723 irons just look good to me.
Wow! Tour Edge bringing the heat with their new top of the line iron offerings!
I hope the article is wrong because I’d love to see the BL Protos in person! But not to hit, just to look :LOL:
This looks like a really solid lineup. Would love to hear more about why the BL have offset
[QUOTE=”RealPretendPsychic, post: 11286062, member: 57192″]
I hope the article is wrong because I’d love to see the BL Protos in person! But not to hit, just to look :LOL:
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Aren’t they cool? Wish I had some more photos of them, because the idea of an offset blade has me curious.
Right or wrong I want to play the Pro 723 or at least hit a few! Probably curb expectations and be back in the C lineup, but wow those look awesome. Pretty cool that while maybe only for Langer this company is customizing irons for their players.
[QUOTE=”Hawk, post: 11286074, member: 1193″]
Aren’t they cool? Wish I had some more photos of them, because the idea of an offset blade has me curious.
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He has a crazy WITB. I’m not sure I see the need for a limited run, but I love it!
Not a fan of the looks overall, except the C723 Pro, which I think looks great. The black line just doesn’t do it for me. I like the options for the TEEm though, and think they will all perform great for whomever gets chosen.
VIBRCOR – Really think they are onto something here. The feel and sound out of this type of iron are actually really, really good overall. The overall package works.
Diamond Face – I’ve tested the limits of the previous Diamond Face in irons, and it works well. I’m still amazed at shots that have no right to turn out as good as they did, given the swing I put on them. But they do.
For the life of me I can’t find it, but I had a list of what gear the TEE Tour staff had in the bag. Weir took 2nd in Hawaii with the Pro 723’s though.
[QUOTE=”Hawk, post: 11286527, member: 1193″]
For the life of me I can’t find it, but I had a list of what gear the TEE Tour staff had in the bag. Weir took 2nd in Hawaii with the Pro 723’s though.
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Oh dang. That makes me think the pros may be a tad too player-y for me…
[QUOTE=”RealPretendPsychic, post: 11286544, member: 57192″]
Oh dang. That makes me think the pros may be a tad too player-y for me…
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I think they’ll lean more towards the forgiving side when it comes to irons in the players category. Milling and the cavity should ensure that. Lofts aren’t too weak either, which I think has a lot to do with weighting down in the sole. Still, they’re going to be for decent ball strikers.
Digging the looks on these for sure.
Wow that is a lot to unpack, what a thorough write up. Admittedly I wasn’t a fan of the last version of these irons in the looks department, I’d have to see the C-series in hand again to see what I think.
Military grade materials and the tech packed into these again is awesome at the price point. The E-series and that toe weighting should not be over looked by players who need that type of help. The BL proto is certainly interesting looking.
The Pro 723 irons look and sound amazing and that is what I would have gravitated to for the past 40 years. The older and more realistic me would probably be better served with the C723. The BL Proto irons look very interesting and am looking forward to finding out more details about them.
Good article. I find it funny that I love the Exotic’s woods and the other Chicago brands irons. They should get together and have a love-child.
Thanks for reading folks.
The whole line looks incredible. The Pro irons look super good!
Not sure if these will be similar to prior gens but even with their light graphite options anyone know why TEE irons swing weight so heavy ? Everyone I’ve measured has always been D4/5 range. Really dug the looks and profile of previous models but I struggled with the Sw.
[QUOTE=”erock9174, post: 11288122, member: 7797″]
Not sure if these will be similar to prior gens but even with their light graphite options anyone know why TEE irons swing weight so heavy ? Everyone I’ve measured has always been D4/5 range. Really dug the looks and profile of previous models but I struggled with the Sw.
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No clue, but I actually love to hear that.
[QUOTE=”Hawk, post: 11287969, member: 1193″]
Thanks for reading folks.
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It’s what I would call an in-depth writeup. The Pro 723s look so fun.
[QUOTE=”Jeff Spicoli, post: 11288354, member: 10545″]
It’s what I would call an in-depth writeup. The Pro 723s look so fun.
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I appreciate that – it was a fun one to dive into!
I came away very interested in what I was seeing. I’d actually love to give those Pros a try too, though if I was forced to choose it would be the C’s. I like that they focused on reducing the footprint while maintaining the distance/forgiveness. Remind me – did you review a 722 set?
BL Proto tungsten weighted blades with offset… that’s interesting.
great article. would be fun to try the C’s and the Pros. The BL proto is cool to see just cuz limited and proto are fun. 😎
[QUOTE=”Hawk, post: 11288376, member: 1193″]
I appreciate that – it was a fun one to dive into!
I came away very interested in what I was seeing. I’d actually love to give those Pros a try too, though if I was forced to choose it would be the C’s. I like that they focused on reducing the footprint while maintaining the distance/forgiveness. Remind me – did you review a 722 set?
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We did not review the 722 but I would volunteer to review these hahahaha
[QUOTE=”shanewu, post: 11288415, member: 38120″]
great article. would be fun to try the C’s and the Pros. The BL proto is cool to see just cuz limited and proto are fun. 😎
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Protos are definitely cool!
[QUOTE=”Jeff Spicoli, post: 11288432, member: 10545″]
We did not review the 722 but I would volunteer to review these hahahaha
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Maybe you can come back for a sequel year :drinks:
Good write up…the Pro 723 looks good and the price is almost unreal. The BL Protos…nice but odd hearing about the offset
[QUOTE=”Hawk, post: 11288454, member: 1193″]
Protos are definitely cool!
Maybe you can come back for a sequel year :drinks:
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Would love to
The Pros look very nice
Great write-up! I like the looks of the pros, but would probably fit better in the e or c723s. I wouldn’t mind a little more texture somewhere on the back of the irons from a looks perspective. IMO the c721s were better looking than c722s or c723s, at least in the badge area. That said, I’d have to see these in hand.
WOW those Pro 723s look good!
[MEDIA=instagram]CovD_BNOPB2[/MEDIA]
[QUOTE=”Gman79, post: 11313413, member: 52297″]
WOW those Pro 723s look good!
[MEDIA=instagram]CovD_BNOPB2[/MEDIA]
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I like the look of the forged 723 irons, but I don’t like the shaft…I wish they had a custom option on their site.
I think they offer custom options, but would like to see those somewhere.
[QUOTE=”The Dave, post: 11313422, member: 19474″]
I like the look of the forged 723 irons, but I don’t like the shaft…I wish they had a custom option on their site.
I think they offer custom options, but would like to see those somewhere.
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I think it would be a great shaft.
Whats not to like?
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[QUOTE=”Gman79, post: 11313527, member: 52297″]
I think it would be a great shaft.
Whats not to like?
[ATTACH type=”full” alt=”1676657929864.png”]9158151[/ATTACH]
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I’m not saying the shaft isn’t solid. Personally I wouldn’t get along with it well.
Just other companies, even smaller DTC, give shaft options and would like to see that just visible on the TE website
Pro irons headed to the OK review outpost! Let’s goooooooo!
[QUOTE=”Jman, post: 11361580, member: 1579″]
Pro irons headed to the OK review outpost! Let’s goooooooo!
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I have a feeling they are really good, especially for those looking for a bit more forgiveness and distance out of a player’s iron. Good times.
[QUOTE=”Jman, post: 11361580, member: 1579″]
Pro irons headed to the OK review outpost! Let’s goooooooo!
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Personal opinion…I wish they gave some options on shafts like they do with the non-Pro 723 irons, because I really like the Pro iron shape ?
[QUOTE=”Hawk, post: 11361600, member: 1193″]
I have a feeling they are really good, especially for those looking for a bit more forgiveness and distance out of a player’s iron. Good times.
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It’ll be interesting to see/feel how they implemented the vibrcor into them. Pics look compact like I like, haha, we shall see!
[QUOTE=”The Dave, post: 11361611, member: 19474″]
Personal opinion…I wish they gave some options on shafts like they do with the non-Pro 723 irons, because I really like the Pro iron shape ?
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If you contact them, they do. They’ve always been that way. They have ample options.
[QUOTE=”Jman, post: 11361612, member: 1579″]
It’ll be interesting to see/feel how they implemented the vibrcor into them. Pics look compact like I like, haha, we shall see!
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Yea, that’s an interesting addition to an iron like that. I get why they did it, since they’ve milled a cavity in there, but it’s not something you see a lot.
[QUOTE=”Hawk, post: 11361617, member: 1193″]
Yea, that’s an interesting addition to an iron like that. I get why they did it, since they’ve milled a cavity in there, but it’s not something you see a lot.
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Definitely isn’t, the feel will be fun to hear, with all that milling time and such a good dampening material in them, im hoping for plush.
[QUOTE=”Jman, post: 11361612, member: 1579″]
It’ll be interesting to see/feel how they implemented the vibrcor into them. Pics look compact like I like, haha, we shall see!
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[QUOTE=”Jman, post: 11361621, member: 1579″]
Definitely isn’t, the feel will be fun to hear, with all that milling time and such a good dampening material in them, im hoping for plush.
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Vibrcor in the C721’s was fantastic. They had a great feel and sound, so I’d expect the same here.