50 Words or Less
The Tour Edge Hot Launch C523 & E523 irons are two sets that will undoubtedly help golfers in need of elevation, distance, and savings.
Introduction
With a pair of new iron lineups, Tour Edge is looking to continue its tradition of great performance for minimal cost. The box that their clubs ship in reads, “golf’s most solid investment,” and from my experience with these clubs, they’re one of golf’s most solid values with the performance to boot.
Looks
The Tour Edge Hot Launch E523 ironwoods look like hybrids at address, from 3-iron to pitching wedge. For many, that’ll be confidence-inspiring! Many will know that the size means these irons will be more forgiving of mis-strikes in terms of ball speed and distance. However, some traditionalists will never be able to feel comfortable looking down at them.
The C523 irons, on the other hand, look like irons but are extremely bulky. They are blocky, angular, and feature substantial offset. I was filled with confidence with these behind the golf ball. While they’re not the look I’d prefer, I know I could use these and not be punished with all the extra mass to help me out.
The colors on both sets are the same, featuring primarily black and red with accents of chrome. While looking futuristic, the execution was a bit off with some inconsistencies in the painting of the clubs. Keeping in mind the value of the clubs though, it isn’t a dealbreaker. They’re tools, not jewels.
Feel & Sound
The feel of the C523 irons was smooth and shockingly soft. Despite being cast irons, they came off the club face reminiscent of forged clubs. That nearly squishy-soft quality surely comes from the Vibrcor technology.
Vibrcor, for the uninitiated, is not quite a rubber, but not quite plastic. The resulting thermoplastic polyurethane is strong and durable but also smooth and flexible. It made the irons feel exceedingly powerful and had me excited to continue to strike shots over and over.
The E523 meanwhile utilizes a hollow-bodied iron design with weighting focused on the perimeter of the club. On good strikes, the face feels springy. They feel rather empty out of the center, and firm on the sides of the face. Despite the design of the Houdini Sole that should minimize turf interaction, I still did find myself striking the club fatter than its C523 counterpart.
Performance
Both the E523 and the C523 models are a triumph in launch, height, and landing angle. While I already hit the ball higher than average, both of these clubs had me hitting it noticeably higher and landing dramatically steeper. For reference, my normal 6-iron has a peak height of around 106 feet and a land angle of 48 degrees. Comparatively, I was hitting the C523 at 124 feet in the air, and the E523 even higher.
The E523s are being billed as the “easiest iron you will ever hit” from Tour Edge. For me, however, that wasn’t the case. I found myself often striking heavy, leading to lower spin. Despite the heavy strikes, the ball carried farther than with my current gamers. When I switched to a more over-the-top type of shot, I had significantly better performance with the club. That makes sense, given that these are draw-biased – designed for chronic faders and slicers of the ball.
Comparatively, C523 was easy as pie when it came to turf interaction. That I attribute to that model’s slightly narrower sole. The C523 performed similarly, launching high, and spinning a bit higher than the E523, with a noticeable increase in ball speed compared to my gamers. I truly loved hitting these irons.
Another aspect of performance that’s often easily overlooked is value. Many clubs perform very well, but are also very expensive. That really isn’t the case with Tour Edge’s Hot Launch line. Regardless of whether you get graphite or steel, a set from 4-PW will cost a mere $600. When you factor in how well these react, it becomes clear there is no sacrifice in performance.
Conclusion
The Tour Edge Hot Launch C523 & E523 irons aren’t afraid to go after a core target audience. That audience of golfers skews to the golfers that need the most support. They aim for the old, the young, the newbies to the game, the slow-swingers, and those who maybe need a deal on new equipment. In that aim, they’ve succeeded in creating two irons sets that truly helps those demographics.
Visit Tour Edge Golf HERE
Tour Edge C523 Irons Price & Specs
Tour Edge E523 Iron-Woods Price & Specs
Drew Koch
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