The past three releases of Tour Edge’s Exotics lineups have been met with nothing but superlatives, truly becoming lineups to which “if you know, you know” applies quite aptly. While the momentum continues to build for the company as a whole, there are many who have been waiting for the company to return to its Exotics roots and unleash a fairway wood the likes of which put them on the map. Well, the wait just might be over with the new C722 fairway wood.
Quick Take
The C722 fairway is old school Tour Edge Exotics in a new school way. It is a rocket launcher that oozes everything the company has that put them on the map. Though tested in the strong 3 model, it showed versatility, surprising playability on misses, and a plethora of speed potential. From tee or turf, this one absolutely needs to be on your short list to hit in 2022.
What Makes the C722 Fairway Different?
Before I get into the performance of the C722 in my testing, I do want to discuss the design itself. What with Tour Edge taking the things they have learned with their Hot Launch offerings and how having two options within one lineup amplified their fitting potential to much more of the golfing bell curve out there, the move to have an E722 and C722 is brilliant.
While the E focuses on being the max forgiveness, easier launching, shallower faced friendly fairway for the masses, the C quite frankly is all about filthy speed and absolute distance wrapped up in a package that will impress even the pickiest players. Am I billing it up too much? We will get to that in the performance section, but the answer is absolutely not.
The C722 fairway is Tour Edge’s titanium players fairway wood, and to be frank, the aesthetic of the tech will draw comparisons to some other titanium driven fairways that have been immensely successful and wildly popular. Congrats to Tour Edge for not being afraid to take a design principle and add their flair to it. With that said, this most certainly is not the same thing in a different dress, it is truly its own thing.
That similar visual element you see is the 90g sole plate design which is part of what Tour Edge is calling Ryzersole Technology, and while the name might be a little much, the premise is rock solid. That 90g weight at the front (80g tungsten and a 10g adjustable weight) is as low as possible and forward, pushing the CG extremely low to maximize stability and launch. The central section of the weight is shaped to be part of singular “sole rail” from leading to trailing edge. Add it all up and Tour Edge claims easy launch with low spin and smoother interaction with the turf off the deck. It is also worth noting, no other fairway on the market has put this much weight in this location.
Rounding it all out is a carbon fiber crown on the 6-4 titanium body which is part of a much more compact and deep total design. All of this lends to the power and feel which Tour Edge is trying to establish in its Exotics lineup once again. Not to be forgotten, Diamond Face VFT brings forgiveness that aims to rival anything with 61 individual diamonds on the rear of the face in five different thicknesses which has been pushed further to the edge than Tour Edge has ever done before. Mix in the C722 offering full hosel adjustability for the first time in a Tour Edge Exotics (TEE) fairway since 2016 via a new more compact and lighter adapter, and there is no doubt no stone has been left unturned.
But what did I see on the course? Read on.
Tour Edge Exotics C722 Fairway Wood
I was pretty pumped when I found out I’d be reviewing it because not only have I either tested or played the last four Exotics fairways, but the general design premise in terms of that beefy sole weight is one that I have historically gotten along extremely well. For those curious, I worked with the strong 3W which is a 13.0 setup for this review. For me, this was exciting as a strong 3 has become a staple of my setup. For full clarity, I tested the 13.0 paired with a Kinetixx Ballistic KG70 F40 which has been used in my gamer 3W the past year.
Before I talk data, I want to get into the looks. The C722 is one dynamite visual package. Not only has the overall finish and aesthetic of the sole been turned way up from the C721 with this having arguably the most shelf appeal in a fairway from Tour Edge and their Exotics line since the EX10 Beta, but it screams quality. At setup, this one isdefinitely on the deeper end as far as face depth goes and it’s blended with a super traditional shaping and compact overall footprint. The star, however, is the carbon fiber crown and the way they blended it to the titanium body, it just pops in the light and looks exponentially better without the Ridgeback of the C721 last year. Setting up neutral to open, this is a player’s fairway through and through when it comes to the aesthetic side.
I worked this one out on the course as well as indoors on the Foresight launch monitor, and quite frankly, it performed staggeringly well in spite of all of the snow driven winter rust on my swing. Given that it is a low lofted 3-Wood, that makes it predominantly a tee club for me in which I want maximum ball speed potential with a flat flight and low spin to ensure the greatest total distance numbers I can get. The C721 delivered on that for me as you can see in the Foresight data set below:
That club and ball speed for me at this time of year perks my ears up to say the least, not to mention seeing more than acceptable peak heights for what I expect in a strong-3 as well as low, yet absolutely playable, spin numbers. What doesn’t show up in the data is that massive sole weight absolutely made this useable for me off the turf even at such a strong loft. The other thing which the data doesn’t show is just how well the Diamond Face VFT works. I want to add that in terms of sound/feel, this doesn’t have the carbon crack which one might expect given the crown, instead it has slightly hollow but solid feedback, which is unique to the C722, in a good way.
I have long been yelling from the rooftops that Tour Edge’s Diamond Face tech is the real deal, and it is one of the most efficient face designs on the entire market, and the C722 fairway definitely delivers. Though the profile means it is still going to have the normal spin-ups and drops depending on strike location, I did take note that the way the spin axis is tilted on misses to the periphery is not as significant as I expected. Overall, I came away feeling like the playability and launch here with the C722 get top marks for the category, combine that with it reigniting the ball speed driven history of the TEE fairways and this is sure to turn a lot of heads in 2022.
Will the C722 fairway wood make your short list to try this season? What do you think of the design and the performance we saw? Jump into the conversation below as well as on the THP Community and be heard!
The Details
Availability: Now
Price: $299.99
Options: 3W (13.0°), 3W (15.0°), 5W (18.0°)
Adjustability: +/- 1.5°
Shaft Options: Fujikura Air Speeder, Fujikura Ventus Red, Mitsubishi Tensei AV RAW (Orange, Blue, White)
As Jman mentioned in his review, the C722 screams Tour Edge Exotics. It reminds me of the CB3 with the white groves on the face. The C722 on the top center of the head makes for a nice alignment aid and I found myself using it to make sure I was lined up in the center after missing a few towards the heel. All around, it is a really good looking fairway.
I am going into this review with the knowledge that for whatever reason, I almost always initially struggle with a new fairway wood. My current gamer, a Srixon ZX 15*, I hit so poorly for the first few rounds and range sessions, I almost sold it. But after the initial rough start, it’s been a great addition the bag and it’s another all-around great fairway wood. Not for nothing, my first rodeo with the C722 was a lot of misses with some shots that showed me the potential that is here. With as well as I have hit the C722 driver, part of me was expecting instant success with the fairway wood. It took me awhile to find my groove with the C722, but by the end of the session, I found a comfort zone. I was only able hit a few balls this morning, but I seemed to have picked up where I left off the previous night–all swings were long and straight.
From the first session, I did have more success initially hitting the C722 off the turf. I was not flying it as far, but dispersion was a lot tighter with almost all of them on target.
I did move the loft up to the maximum from 13* to 14.75* saw the expected launch and spin increases that go with it.
Let’s talk about ball speed. Like the C722 driver, there is no shortage of ball speed here. Equally impressive as the crazy ball speed number I’ve seen on the driver on good swings, is the ball speed retention I’ve seen on the not so good hits, which has translated to more fairways hits and less shots lost to penalties. The Diamond Face tech that is in the driver is in the fairway as well. As I mentioned earlier, I was all over the place with my swing in my first session so it’s honestly hard for me to say if it works as well in a fairway. I am scheduled to play this week so that is something I will keep my eye on, as I’m sure there will be misses on the course.
Back to ball speed. The highest ball speed number topped out at 169. The shot itself was a big old hook so completely unplayable. Compared to my gamer, on average, they are very similar. Spin numbers with the C722 are slightly lower but I’m playing it at 13* vs 15*. The C722 also launched about 2* lower and had a lower peak height and descent, which leads me to believe the C722 is going to be really fun on the course.
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This is really good information.
Your ball speed off a 3w makes me cry…I was thrilled to get 160+ today off the driver
It kind of like seeing @Canadan hitting 7 irons 200y+
Dont know how I missed this
Tonight I took 4 swings with each fairway off the tee and then 4 off the deck. I didn’t throw out any of swings and there were a few that weren’t good, but I don’t want to just compare the best of the best. Having a playable miss is important so here we go.
The purpose of the comparison isn’t to find out which is longer, as the TEE should be anyway since it’s 13* vs the 15* Srixon. The weight and flex of the shafts are the same both are in the 70g x flex category. In the TEE I have the Tensei RAW White 75x and in the Srixon I have a Tour AD HD 7x. Both playing at standard length.
I’ll post the results first of the test off the tee. I went with the Srixon first here:
View attachment 9089262
Looking at the numbers, it’s not surprise to see the TEE with a little more ball speed and carry. I’m more familiar and comfortable with the Srixon, having played it for the last year, but I’m quickly getting confident with the TEE–all 4 shots with the TEE would be playing and averaging 274 carry. It does feel like it’s slightly easier to turn over than the Srixon with 3 of the 4 moving right to left. With the Srixon, it was either dead straight or right. There was also a noticeable difference in spin, with the TEE almost 1000 RPMs less, teetering on driver territory spin. The tee also had a peak height of 32 yards vs 39 with the Srixon.
Next up I went with 4 swings off the deck with each. I switched up the order and went with the TEE first.
View attachment 9089263
I mentioned in my first review post that I felt more comfortable initially hitting the TEE off the deck than off the tee. Even thought it’s 13*, I have not seen any issues on the sim hitting it off the deck at all. Like I said earlier, I did not throw out any swings and on my second swing with the TEE I just straight up hit it fat. Ball speed dropped and the carry was about 20 yards less than the other three. The other thing the is the spin and peak height on that swing were noticeable lower. I’m saying this because even with that one included in there, the overall peak height was closer to the Srixon than I was expecting. Descent angle is right there as well, which tells me the TEE should be able to hold greens and will be playable off the deck.
I should be getting out for my first on the course experience with the C722 Friday. If you all want me to look at anything in particular or have any questions, let me know.
Interesting that the spin stayed basically the same from tee or turf with the C722, point to C722 for consistency, but the Srixon had a ton more spin off the tee.
Yeah, my big fear of a miss with the 3w is a smothered hook so I think I was holding off a bit with the Srixon which was resulting with the spinny miss to the right. I don’t have angle of attach data, but I know I was making it a point to swing down more on it with the C722 off the deck.
Tonight in my league play, I only had the opportunity to hit this off the tee on 2 holes (shorter 9, more target golf that “grip and rip”). The opportunities I had to hit this were very positive off the tee. Medium/High ball flight, straight as an arrow and distance was comparable to the driver. The sound was a crisp “crack” , not the hollow “thwack” I previously experienced on the heel strikes.
I will get more opportunities Saturday to put this through its paces. Looking forward to seeing how it will perform.
This is the longest fairway wood I’ve ever hit and it’s not even close.
This shot is not even the longest one of the day.
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Welcome back old school Exotics fairway FIRE!
That is a bold and fun statement and I am here for all of it.
Apparently, the C722 and I woke up and chose violence.
I knew this was one was going to be a bomber, but my mind was blown after the first handful of tee shots. I wish I had measured my drive on one, because it was downhill and slightly downwind, but my first measured drive was 277 followed by:
288
312
308
285
305
The wind picked up after that and the final holes are in the lower part of the course with no roll out, but the distances were still really good with:
273
278
257
259
I love this. I wanted to just GUSH nonstop about it in my review but chose to stay tactfully positive. But there’s never been any doubt in my mind this one is as good as TEE has EVER made.
I try to avoid hyperbole but truly don’t believe I’ve hit a fairway wood longer than what I did today.
Prior to this the SIM was the longest I’d hit. This is longer for me.
Now I’m pondering the 5w.
Yesterday played a links style course that plays into the wind in a minority of the holes. The c722 fairway wood performed very well in these conditions. Off the deck it held it’s line very well and didn’t balloon. Distance was obviously reduced some but still very adequate (I don’t generate the club head speed that @Jeff Spicoli does ?). Off the tee , I was 50/50 . One tee shot was long & straight, the other , I teed too high and let the wind take the ball.
As far as sound goes, when struck center face, there is a pleasant “crack” letting you know you made good contact. ( unlike last week where most of my swings produced heel strikes that sounded hollow).
Today, of the three chances, 2 went long & straight, no roll due to soggy ground, one was a chunked shot that still went straight!
these are crazy good!
I’ve mentioned this before, but I’ve played Tour Edge Exotics fairway woods regularly since the XCG7 series. I played the XCG7 Beta 13*, which might be my favorite all-around fairway wood. When I was using the 13*, I was not consistent at all with the driver so when the driver went south, I had no issue hitting the 13* off the tee. I wasn’t sacrificing much distance and I hit a lot more fairways with it. It was also a club I could use off the deck with no issues. The C722 13* has a lot in it that reminds me of everything I loved about the XCG7. It is a weapon off the tee. I was seeing a lower and flatter trajectory than what I’m seeing with my 15* that’s in the bag. From my simulator session I was seeing the spin numbers average out off the tee in the high 2000s, which is just above where I am with my driver. I know we all hit the ball high on the internet, but I really hit it high and when it is windy, I feel more comfortable with a 3w I can hit lower off the tee. Whether it’s real or in my mind, I feel like I can control it more and am going to lose less distance hitting into the wind. The C722 did perform quite well when I was hitting into a head or crosswind.
I like the sound of the C722. I don’t find it to be loud but there is audible feedback and it almost has a throwback sound to it. That could be the titanium face at work. TEE has done a great job with the feedback you get with the C722. I can tell when I’m a little off center, whether it’s on the toe or heel.
Something I saw in my simulator testing and showed up on the course is that my tendency to miss with the C722 is left. Being 13* and low spin, it is not surprising, but I did have one bad miss on my round that went out of bounds left. I had another one similar to it on my last hole of the day but because the hole moves that way and opens up, it didn’t hurt me. With my 15* Srixon, I either hit it straight or play a fade. It is a draw or straight with the C722. I was able to fade the C722 when I needed to though. I’m not 100% convinced the Tesnei Raw White is the best shaft for me. I’m playing the Orange in the C722 driver and it’s been a fantastic fit. The Orange is not offered in the weight I prefer in a fairway wood so that’s how I ended up with the White. I’m saying this because I’m wondering if the shaft is contributing to the left miss. I’ve found that even though on paper me being a high ball, high spin guy, the low launch/spin shaft is the way to go, it’s not the best fit and it leads towards the more penal low miss left. There is also a growing pain, for me anyway, when getting a new fairway wood so that could be part of it. I had a similar experience with the Mavrik 13* Sub Zero with that miss, but the C722 appears to be much more forgiving and easier to hit.
The blue was probably the way for me to go, but I also hit the longest 3 woods of my life with it so the jury’s still out.
Yea, with your club head speed I’m sure you can get the White to play well 90% of the time, but that 10% can be an ugly shot ?
I on the other hand, need some extra spin/launch with my 3w (and all clubs honestly)…the White was a disaster for me
It’s an absolute beast. I had a lot of fun with mine on the simulator last night. Ball speed and carry distance continue to amaze.
Yup. I saw it in the review, but my swing is almost back now and holy balls.
This is just stupid:
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Not too far off from my 15* for initial launch. The peak height is lower though. I would say a flatter trajectory than my Srixon.
Usually when I hit 3 woods the ball flight is high and has a steeper angle of descent. I am seeing a flatter trajectory, which in windy conditions will give me a better sense of control. The ground was soft today so I was not seeing any roll out. I still have not had a chance to hit it from the fairway during a round, but I don’t have any concerns about its playable from the deck as I’ve had no issues with it from the range or simulator.
Off the tee , tight driving hole, great ball flight and landed about 230. No roll, soft fairway. The other 2 swings, one from the rough, the other from the fairway. Great results from both, straight , penetrating flight, very good distance. Comfort level with this club continues to increase, almost becoming “automatic”.
My confidence in this club is higher than ever. All I need to do is put a smooth swing on it and the ball will just “jump”! Had an opportunity to play out of thick rough ( a couple times). The C722 fairway wood performed beautifully. Cut through the rough, solid contact, left me an easy chip on one hole, putted from the fringe on the other.
This is doing exactly what I want a club in this spot of the bag to do!
What were you playing before?
I’m coming from a fairway wood I really like as well. It’s been fun seeing how the two compare.
I think that’s the surprising thing about the TEE fairways…I have a TM Stealth 16.5° that I adored for distance, but accuracy wasn’t always there…it was good, but not great. My E722, while not as long as the Stealth is more accurate…so I’m in the position, do it want 10-15 more yards from a 3w where it might not end up near my target…or near my target but short of maybe a green in 2 on a par 5?
It’s definitely worth giving it a test drive when you get the chance!!
Its definitely intriguing
The E722 is not the bomber of the C722…but if you’re looking for a playable fairway don’t sleep on it either
I think I said this about the driver too
Both the E and the C seem like very good options, in a variety of Tour Edge products.
In my pondering mind, too ?
It is such a fun club to hit–an absolute distance machine.
I have been debating a higher lofted fairway wood to follow my 2nd driver.
How "high lofted"? 18° 5w?
Interesting. What is in that spot now?
The spot in my bag that has the most turnover is the club between my 3w and my 4i. I’ve played a hybrid, 5w, and driving iron over the last few years. The C722 5w is intriguing to me because I think it would still have the benefit of being able to elevate it and land softly on the greens when going after par 5s in two but still be an effective option off the tee.
Right now its an Epic Super Hybrid. I was thinking a 21* in the E722 or the 19.5* in the C722 could fall into that gap.
I am biased towards the C722. I think it would work well off the tee and deck.
My biggest concern right now is gapping. Off the tee I am pretty set with the two drivers, but my next club is a hybrid and something in that 20 degree spot and jumping from there to the 4 hybrid might be a better option. I might pick one up and do some testing.