The Tour Edge Hot Launch C524 driver comes with a very modest price tag of £201.00/$249.00, so I was curious to see what sort of performance comes along with that. Can it possibly compete with the best drivers on the market, some of which will cost you more than double?
From a visual perspective, the C524 is a great-looking driver in behind the ball in the playing position. The ridgeback technology that Tour Edge has implemented to provide more structural integrity to the clubhead, frames the ball beautifully and the ‘ridge’ provides a really useful alignment aid. The carbon effect crown also gives a really premium feel to the finish. On the underside, the carbon effect continues and some fairly minimal branding is paired up with the MOI increasing back weight. So far, so good.
There is more technology present on the clubface with Tour Edge’s Diamond Face VFT technology, which features 35 different diamond shapes that essentially act as “mini-trampolines” behind the face to increase ball speed. Furthermore, a sole rail design extends from the leading to trailing edge which lowers the CG to increase launch and add ball speed.
I conducted my testing on the practice ground at Saunton Golf Club using TaylorMade TP5 golf balls and my FullSwing KIT launch monitor, and I was impressed with what I saw.
Firstly from a feel standpoint, the C524 produced a lively and solid thud with a reasonably high-pitched impact noise. Not too high, but noticeably higher than the Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke family or the TaylorMade Qi10 range, it was more akin to the Ping G430 Max 10K in terms of the audio.
In terms of the data, I was producing some reasonable ball speed, averaging just under the 170 mph mark. This is slower than some of the bigger names such as the Ping G430 Max 10K (174.1 mph) or the TaylorMade Qi10 (173.8 mph), but not by a huge amount. Spin and launch were on the higher end to be considered optimal for me at 2666rpm and 13.3 degrees respectively, but this is what the club was designed for so it’s a case of mission accomplished. It should be noted that the shaft in my sample club was a little lighter and softer than I would ordinarily use so this would likely contribute to the additional spin and launch too.
The solid performance, excellent looks, and premium feel of the Tour Edge Hot Launch C524 make the modest price tag all the more remarkable. Obviously, I only have a short time period to go on, but I had no reservations in terms of this driver's durability. It felt well-engineered and surprisingly stable. I think there is some serious value to be had here and I would have no hesitation in recommending the C524 driver as one of the best drivers for beginners I have tried.
I would like to see some more shaft options as currently it is only available with the Aldila Ascent, albeit in 4 different flexes. That aside, Tour Edge can be very pleased with the driver it has created here and with where it is positioned in the market in terms of price point, I expect it to be a big seller.
