You didn’t really think there would be a release cycle and Tour Edge wouldn’t be joining in, did you? Not only are they coming to the party, but they are also making it Exotic.
This year marks the introduction of Tour Edge’s new Exotics 723 lineup of metal woods and according to the company, this might be the one that takes them to another level. If you are reading this, then you already know the rocket ship which the brand has been on for the past four to five years not only as an innovator, but doing it as the best bang for your buck in all of golf.
With 722, Tour Edge brought their “E” (Extreme) and “C” (Competition) concept over to Exotics and it was one of the best decisions they could have ever made, and it is front and center with 723. In fact, it is the basis to their 2023 tagline, “The Powerful and the Accurate”, and if performance backs up the excitement coming from Tour Edge this might be one to remember, especially in drivers.
Exotics 723 Drivers – Key Technologies
There is a lot going on under the hood, and on it for that matter, with the new Exotics 723 drivers. Every year Tour Edge continues to surprise me with just how they manage to balance maintaining success with absolute fearlessness to bring in big design additions. Every year I believe they can’t do it again, and then they do.
Foremost, Ridgeback is…back. There is no way that Tour Edge was going to change the single design feature which catapulted them into new levels of performance even for a company with a history of it. It is present, but I didn’t say they didn’t change it. The Exotics 723 features what the company is now calling 360 Ridgeback. The design is now 15% thinner than last year and now runs down the spine as well as all the way around the entire perimeter of the clubhead. Why the change? According to Tour Edge it has added support on off center strikes which means more stability and MOI. Thinner, stronger, and more stable also means more powerful.
The move to the 360 Ridgeback did also necessitate a change in how and where the carbon fiber in the 723 would be applied. The perimeter ring means that there is no longer any wrap around of the carbon from crown to sole that the 722 models used. What is wild to think about is even with that change there is 5% more carbon fiber in the 723’s compared to last year. As always, 5% may not seem like much, but with it comes more ability to manipulate the CG to fit the specific needs of the E and C heads.
Another return, the most under talked about face technology in golf, Diamond Face VFT. For those not familiar, this is Tour Edge’s variable face technology, the key differentiator to it being the use of diamond shapes of different thicknesses to create the speed and retention profile which fit each head the best. This year, there are 61 individual diamonds of 7 different thicknesses on the face. More than that, they are thinner than ever at the heel and toe of the face which seeks to add even more playability on lateral misses.
However, as I said earlier, Tour Edge is fearless when it comes to making big technological additions, and for the Exotics 723 drivers they are debuting their new Flight Tuning System. This is a moveable weight track placed at the extreme trailing edge of the two driver heads (yes, it is on both models) and although we have seen the Exotics line use a track before with the EXS Pro, the shaping with the E723 and C723 drivers is one of the most unique tracks we have ever seen in any driver from any brand. The track is part of a 20g weight equation in each head which has increased MOI from the 722’s by 5% in both models as well as offering significant flight tuning.
As you have seen, there is a lot of technology packed into these drivers, and each head is utilizing it all, though in some slightly different ways.
Tour Edge Exotics C723 Driver
The C723 is “The Powerful” in Tour Edge’s new 2023 tagline and rightfully so. This one is built for speed and distance, all starting with two traits that perked my ears up as a massive fan of the original EXS Pro driver, that this head is 445cc’s and it is deep faced. This head has its 20g Flight Tuning System weighting split between interchangeable 15g and 5g weights and at standard the heavier is in the track with the lighter in a forward port only on the C head. What is interesting is they can be switched even with one being a movable track, and that movement means up to 300 RPM of change along with putting the MOI at 4900-5300 g/cm2 (quite impressive for a 445cc head). The sliding track also accounts for up to 7 yards of R/L flight tuning according to Tour Edge.
As always, Tour Edge is utilizing their adapter in the Exotics C723 with makes for +/- 2-degrees of change for the 8.0 (RH), 9.0 (RH), and 10.5 (RH/LH) heads. Stock shaft options for the C are the Mitsubishi Tensei AV Blue 65 w/ Xlink (R, S, X) and the Project X HZRDUS Black Gen4 (5.5, 6.0, 6.5). The C723 will come in priced at $499.99.
Tour Edge Exotics E723 Driver
As for “The Accurate”, that would be the E723. This one is a full 460cc’s and has the highest MOI rating of any driver Tour Edge has ever produced in the Exotics line or outside of it at 5600 g/cm2, a 5% jump from last year. More than that, it is a neutral head which, thanks to the Flight Tuning System, has 10 yards of bias adjustability depending on the placement of the 20g weight at the rear of the head. The E723 is all about maximizing forgiveness and launch, without sacrificing distance potential.
The E723 will be available in 9.0 (RH), 10.5 (RH/LH), and 12.0 (RH) and also use Tour Edge’s adapter system for 2-degrees more loft adjustability either way. Stock offerings for this head are the Fujikura Air Speeder (L, A, R) as well as the Mitsubishi Tensei AV Blue 65 w/ Xlink (R, S, X). As for price, the E723 comes in at $449.99.
The Details
Tour Edge’s Exotics C723 and E723 drivers will come to retail on 3/1/23 along with the rest of the 723 lineup. The fact that the company has kept both drivers sub $500.00 given all the tech they have clearly packed into them is yet another amazing accomplishment. But the story will always come back to if they perform, so be sure to stay tuned to THP for more on that, very soon!
