Tour Edge makes some mightily impressive golf clubs in recent years, notably the Exotics C725 driver and Exotics C725 irons, catering for a variety of player types by offering premium performance at a slightly more palatable price.
Now, it has taken this golf know-how and applied it to balls for the first time. The company claims its new Exotics ball produces ‘incredible numbers’, something I was very keen to put to the test.
WATCH: Joel Tadman tests the performance of the Tour Edge Exotics ball
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In terms of technology, the Tour Edge Exotics ball is a three piece design with a urethane cover, much like that of the market leading Titleist Pro V1 in terms of construction. It boasts a high speed KinetiCore said to deliver speed, distance and stability in the wind while the fast, soft ionomer mantle layer helps with accuracy and control on approach shots. For short game spin, there’s the cast urethane cover.
On first inspection out of the box, the Tour Edge Exotics looks well made. It has a slightly duller finish than the bright white Pro V1 and the dimples don’t appear to be as tightly packed together. This explains the 318 dimple pattern total versus the Pro V1’s 388.
(Image credit: Howard Boylan)
On the Exotics there’s also a visible seam around the golf where the two halves have been joined, whereas on most of the best premium balls it is more seamless (pun intended). This used to affect performance back in the day but the USGA’s symmetry test now ensures every ball performs similarly in different orientations.
The ball also sports Tour Edge’s new modern logo, which looks smart, and the sidestamp should be effective enough for golfers that use a line on their ball to help them on the greens.
(Image credit: Howard Boylan)
As I clipped a few chips away it was noticeable how soft the Exotics ball felt, it didn’t sound as clicky as the Pro V1, although the difference was fairly subtle. Overall the Tour Edge probably had a slightly higher flight on chip and pitches but the level of grab on the second bounce was comparable.
I then took the ball indoors and gathered data on the Foresight Sports GCQuad launch monitor, hitting a 50-yard pitch shot, 7-iron and driver with each. The data painted a similar picture in that the numbers were very comparable, almost identical in fact. The Pro V1 provided a touch more spin with a wedge and a little more speed and distance with the driver, but we’re talking minimal differences.
(Image credit: Future)
But to properly assess the Tour Edge ball, I needed to hit it out on the course. So I hit three drives with the Exotics and three with the Titleist Pro V1. This is important because photometric launch monitors use algorithms to calculate distance and don’t factor in the effect of dimple design and aerodynamics, which ball companies rightly place a lot of value in.
Having hit some well-struck drives with each, it appeared that the Pro V1 started to separate a little more. While I probably struck one of the shots with the Titleist slightly better, to see it finish 14 yards further than my best hit with the Tour Edge was a surprise. I’m speculating of course, but it appeared the Pro V1 did a better job of cutting through the slight head wind and maximising total distance.
(Image credit: Howard Boylan)
But in summary, the Tour Edge Exotics ball certainly held its own and when you consider it comes in at just $39.99 per dozen compared to the $55 of the Pro V1, you could argue there’s better value to be had, especially for golfers that prioritise performance into and around the greens as well as a soft feel.
More and more companies are making competitive products at the premium end of the ball market that are genuinely comparable to the established choices. We’ve seen it with balls like the Mizuno Pro X, the Snell Prime 3.0, the Vice Pro Plus and even the Kirkland Signature to a degree, and Tour Edge is another ball that performs well tee-to-green for a more than reasonable price.
