Back in 2021, when Tour Edge released their Exotics C721 driver, they experienced quite a breakthrough. While they have produced some powerful performing equipment in the past, the performance of the C721 helped force the brand into more conversations about modern-day drivers. With more eyes attracted to Tour Edge, there was plenty of excitement to see their 2023 lineup. Similarly to last year, two drivers are part of the 723 series, and today we are focusing on the lower spin C723 driver.
For golfers who like to tinker or self-fit their golf clubs, the C723 driver offers plenty of options. It starts with the loft sleeve, which offers eight loft and lie combinations. For example, on the 10.5° head, golfers can dial the loft down to 8.5° and up to 12.5°. There are also two swappable weights on the sole, one being 15 grams and the other being 5 grams. According to Tour Edge during a THP live segment earlier this year, their internal testing showed that moving the weights around from front to back altered spin rates by about 400rpms, which is nothing to sneeze at.
A final piece of Tour Edge’s Flight Tuning System comes as a sliding rear weight track, which can help dial in the shape of one’s intended golf shot. While this rear weight track is not overly long, it does represent the first time Tour Edge has included this fitting element in their drivers. It’s a new venture for Tour Edge; therefore, it’s a big deal. Regarding how much this affects ball flight, we are told that this weight track allows for +/- 7 yards of adjustability.
Ridgeback Technology is back for its third generation and has undergone some refinements. First and foremost, the spine along the crown is 15% thinner than the one featured on their C722 drivers. If you remember, when Tour Edge introduced the C721 driver, the crown looked so different from others on the market, as we saw carbon fiber wrap around the sides spanning from the crown to the sole plate while having that titanium spine running down the middle of the crown. This time, we are getting 360° Ridgeback, which adds a thin titanium band around the perimeter, helping to connect four separate carbon pieces. Tour Edge refers to this as Quad Carbon Tech. 360° Ridgeback helps boosts MOI properties by offering more support for contact across the face. Ridgeback also plays a vital role in the sound and feel, and according to Tour Edge, it will offer a stronger feel at impact.
Tour Edge makes no bones about showing you as much tech as possible, which is evident whether you are looking at these drivers on a store display or setting up behind the ball. While the Ridgeback spine and carbon top will likely monopolize one’s early thoughts, the overall shaping, with a more compact 445cc head and a generously deep face, is worth noticing. Something that jumped out to me was that even though this driver is less than 460cc, it still looks friendly because we aren’t talking about a traditional pear shape driver. Instead, it is not as drawn back or triangular as the E723 driver head.
For my testing, I played the C723 driver at 10.5° paired with a Mitsubishi Rayon Tensei Blue 65 with X Link in an X flex. Full disclosure, some X flex driver shafts are not a great fit for my swing, but I have had good luck in the past with other MRC models.
Below are some average numbers recorded on a Foresight GC2. Earlier, I mentioned how Tour Edge says they can see up to 400rpm difference depending on the location of the heavier 15-gram weight. While my spin differences didn’t reach that level, there was about a 250rpm difference when shifting the weight forward. As one can see, playing the C723 with the heavier weight in the forward position also produced more ball speed, a slightly lower launch angle, and more carry distance. All those aspects are great, especially for golfers searching for a way to keep spin down, but on the course, it did come with sacrificing some consistency and forgiveness.
While the forward weight position made the C723 a bit more difficult for consistent control, playing this driver in the opposite configuration was much more confidence-building. On-course misses were much more playable, especially when getting out toward the toe section, because it helps maintain a bit extra spin to keep the ball in the air. When looking to Tour Edge to see the listed MOI difference between the two weight positions, the weight forward MOI measures 4900 g/cm2 and 5300 g/cm2 with the weight back. For comparison, the E723 driver, reviewed by Ryan Hawk, comes in at 5600 g/cm2, the highest MOI driver Tour Edge has ever produced.
Here are a few final thoughts to wrap up the adjustability and performance talk. For me, launch and directional ball flights were altered more by adjusting the loft sleeve than by moving weights around. It was also the easier change to make. One pain point is on the rear weight track itself. Not when adjusting the position of the sliding weight but when completely swapping the weights back to front. To properly secure the weight to the track, two tiny pins within the track need to align with two pin holes on the adjustable weight. Getting those two to pair up was not the most straightforward system I’ve used. The base piece would tend to rotate, causing frustration and slowing the process. In the end, it works, and it is nothing that would prevent me from recommending this driver, but this is something that we will hopefully see some extra polishing for future releases.
In a market flooded with carbon fiber drivers, it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that every driver will have that dense carbon sound at impact. C723 bucks that trend in a noticeable manner. Surprisingly, this driver gave off a sharper tone that was undoubtedly not muted. On center strikes, this driver sounds and feels incredibly powerful, and when contact inevitably strays from the center, the sound firms up enough to let you know instantly. Tour Edge describes the sound as crisper and brighter; honestly, that is an excellent way of saying what I experienced. It won’t be for everyone and will likely turn some golfers off, but overall, it stands out in the crowd of today’s modern carbon fiber drivers.
C723 bills itself as an uber adjustable driver that can be either set up as a forgiving option or one that can be a low spin bomber. With many combinations, self-tinkerers will unquestionably find a setting that gives them their preferred results.
More information on the entire Tour Edge C723 lineup can be found at www.touredge.com.
The Details
Price: $499
Lofts: 8°, 9°, 10.5°* ( *available in LH)
Shafts: MRC Tensei AV Blue x/Xlink (R,S,X) and Project X HZRDUS Black Gen 4 (5.5,6.0, 6.5)
Weights: Extra weights available for purchase
