Bettinardi CB24 and MB24 Forged Irons

• Bettinardi produces their first-ever sets of irons.
• The MB24 irons are muscle-back irons and the CB24 are cavity-backs.
• Both sets feature multi-material forged solid construction.
• MSRP $1,600 at Bettinardi.com

Do you like surprises? I do. Good surprises, anyway. In this day and age where all information is everywhere, good surprises seem few and far between. Rarely does something happen without spoilers.

I was very surprised when I received an email last month from Bettinardi asking for my iron specs.

Not putter specs. Iron specs.

Surprise! Bettinardi, a company that has been making putters since the last century, has created, not one, but two sets of forged irons. How about that?

Maybe we could have anticipated this since Bettinardi has made wedges for quite a few years now. Even so, the move from making wedges to full iron sets seems like a big jump.

I was gobsmacked.

Putter maker, wedge maker, now iron maker Bettinardi has produced a set of forged muscle-back irons, the MB24, as well as a set of forged cavity-back irons, the CB24.

Today, we will explore the differences between the two sets and I will take a deeper dive into the CB24s I tested. 

Why is a putter company making irons?

Why has Bettinardi decided to branch out into the iron market? I think there are two likely reasons.

First, they are a business that likes to make money. Perhaps the folks at Bettinardi looked at the premium iron space and saw opportunity. It sounds like making irons has been on Bettinardi’s wish list for a long time. My guess is that, until now, doing so was cost prohibitive, either in terms of manufacturing cost or retail pricing. Maybe both.

These days, everything is expensive, including golf clubs.

The other day, I was playing around with building a set of Paradym irons on Callaway’s site and the final cost was well over $2,000 after customization.

Bettinardi is selling their MB24 and CB24 irons for $1,600 a set. In the pre-PXG, pre-Callaway Epic Forged days, that would be an expensive set of irons. These days, $1,600 almost seems like a bargain. Perhaps not a Kirkland-level bargain but I wouldn’t call these unusually expensive by any means.

The other possible reason Bettinardi is making irons is the one I mentioned. They have wanted to for a while. They have come up with a design that they want to bring to market, even if it could be deemed unusual for them to do so.

It can seem odd when a company or an individual branches out into territory that we don’t usually associate them with.

Older readers probably remember that Bruce Willis and Eddie Murphy had singing careers and hit songs. That crossover success is not always the case, though. Just saying “Chris Gaines” is probably a trigger for some of you.

My take on the situation is that Bettinardi wanted to make irons and they finally had a design that they liked and a receptive marketplace so they made irons.

Bettinardi 2024 Irons: Multi-Material Forgings

One of the surprising, and yet not really surprising, things about the Bettinardi irons is that they are not forged in the U.S.A. All of the design work was done here in the States, but the actual forging was done outside of the country.

It is a bit surprising that Bettinardi would make these irons in another country since they pride themselves on using materials produced in the U.S. as well as making all of their putters here.

On the other hand, what makes the choice of non-USA manufacturing not surprising at all is the lack of forging factories. It is tough to make something at a factory that doesn’t exist. It is also possible that it was less expensive to make these elsewhere and that reduced cost is what made making the irons fiscally possible in the first place.

Focusing on the metals, the MB24 and the CB24 sets are forged from more than one material. While the main body is 1025 carbon steel, tungsten and military-grade ceramic matrix composite (CMC) are integrated into the blank prior to forging. Both are completely solid in construction after forging.

The position of the tungsten and the CMC varies with each head, allowing the center of gravity to be positioned as needed to generate the desired launch, spin and gapping values.

It wouldn’t be a Bettinatdi product without precision milling. The USGA-conforming face grooves and the hex pattern on the back of the irons are milled.

Bettinardi 2024 Irons: Stock Specs

Overall, the specs of the Bettinardi MB24 and CB24 irons are very similar offerings from other manufacturers. The short irons are a little stronger-lofted than TaylorMade’s P7MB and P7CB irons. For example, the Bettinardi pitching wedge loft is 45 degrees whereas the TaylorMade iron set pitching wedges are 47.

Callaway’s Apex MB and Apex CB irons tell a similar story, with the short irons just a bit weaker in loft than the Bettinardi irons.

You won’t find jacked lofts in these irons. Irons of this type are not intended for folks seeking extra distance. People gaming irons like this generate speed from their swings so additional distance enhancing technologies are not needed.

Bettinardi MB24 and CB24 Offset and Toplines

Golfers who bemoan thick toplines and significant offset will find little to complain about with the Bettinardi MB24 and CB24 irons. Both sets are thin on the top and have minimal progressive offset.

They look great behind the ball and either set would be suitably thin enough to slather butter on your morning toast.

Of the two, the CB24 irons are a little thicker on the top and have a little more offset. Just a little. This, along with the cavity design, makes them more forgiving and higher-launching than the MB24 irons. 

Note that I didn’t say that it makes them “forgiving”, just “more forgiving.”

Bettinardi 2024 Irons: Shaft and Grip Options

Bettinardi is offering a variety of shaft and grip options for the MB24 and CB24 irons.

The stock steel offerings are the KBS Tour and True Temper Dynamic Gold MID 100 shafts. KBS C Taper Lite, True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue, Project X LZ and Nippon NS Pro Modus 3 Tour 105/120/130 are the other steel options.

If you want graphite, you are limited to SteelFiber shafts in the i70CW, i95CW and i110CW weight profiles.

The stock grip for both sets is a Bettinardi-logoed Golf Pride Tour Velvet. Additional Golf Pride (MCC, MCC PLUS4, MCC CP2 PRO, Tour Wrap) and Lamkin (Crossline 360, Crossline 360 Cord, Sonar+, UTX, ST+2 Hybrid 360) are available.

A Closer look at the Bettinardi CB24 Irons

As I mentioned, Bettinardi built me a set of irons so I could explore them in person and pass along my findings to you. Those of you who read my recent review of PING’s new G730 irons know that I am more of a game-improvement guy these days.

Playing player’s irons could be a disaster.

Naturally, I went with the more forgiving CB24 build. I know these are not game-improvement irons but, given the choice between “not helpful” and “maybe a little helpful”, I’ll choose the latter.

I’ll circle back to how it went on grass in a bit but, first, let’s just take a moment to drool over the aesthetics of the Bettinardi CB24 irons.

One thing I really like  is how they look like something made by Bettinardi. The Hex B in the cavity along with the smaller hex pattern milling could only be associated with one company.

I appreciate that Bettinardi went with a subtle branding approach with the CB24 and MB24 irons. They could have put the Bettinardi name across the back of the iron in big letters. Instead, they put their name and the model name on the hosel, leaving the majority of the iron unadorned.

This was a great decision. The lack of decoration allows one to better see the curves of the metal. I know that the term “clean” is an overused descriptor when it comes to golf clubs but the Bettinardi irons are the epitome of clean.

Bonus Content: Bettinardi MB24 Irons

Though I am bunking in Camp Cavity Back, I was able to procure one Bettinardi MB24 6-iron for first-hand exploration. 

If there was ever a golf club that makes me want to be a better player, it is the Bettinardi MB24. It would be amazing to look down at your bag full of these, knowing that you were going to hit the ball high or low, to the left or the right.

I mean being able to make those shots on purpose. All of those shots are in my bag but unfortunately they just tend to happen at random.

The photo above is probably one of the most inspiring, and depressing, ones that I have taken in my tenure at MyGolfSpy. It’s a bit tough seeing what you’d like to be playing right next to what you should be playing.

That’s not a knock on the PING G730 iron. I am grateful that it has the technology to help me play better. I’m just saying it would be nice to not need that technology.

Bettinardi CB24 Irons: Getting them Dirty

I suppose I could have just taken photos of the Bettinardi CB24 irons and not hit them to keep them in pristine condition. Let them live their lives as art and not suffer the indignity of striking balls in my hands.

That’s not how I roll. If it hits my house, it’s going to get hit.

Ultimately, I was very curious about how my perpetually in-progress swing would mesh with the CB24 design. I had no misconception that I would play better with them than I do with my game-improvement irons but I wondered what differences I would actually see.

Would playing forged cavity-back irons just damage or totally destroy my game?

Maybe anticipating the negative is not the best way to approach playing a new iron but I wanted to be realistic in my expectations. There was that quiet voice that said maybe I’ll play better with the CB24s.

Hitting the middle of the face with my first pitch shot gave that little positive voice a bit more volume.

On the course, the optimistic voice got quiet pretty quick. My iron play did suffer when I switched from the PING G730s to the Bettinardi CB24s.

The thing was, though, that it didn’t suffer as much as I expected.

The one big difference was distance. Even when I matched the irons by loft rather than by club number, the Bettinardi irons were shorter than my PING G730s by a significant margin. I had a feeling this would be the case since the PING irons have the distance-enhancing design technologies that the Bettinardi irons lack.

There were a couple of times when the planets aligned and I hit the purest shot of my life with the CB24s and distance was not an issue. Playing the odds, though, the PINGs were more helpful since I like to use all of the clubface when I play.

I was also not surprised that my miss with the CB24s tended to be to the right. The reduced offset found in the CB24s was the likely culprit. I may bend the lie angle up a degree or two and see what happens. I’m prone to missing left with the G730s so I kept these at standard lie angles.

All in all, I would rate my ability to play these not as impossible but improbable. I guess the positive (likely delusional) voice was not totally silenced after all.

 Final Thoughts on the Bettinardi CB24 Irons

Bettinardi filmed their long-time staffer Fred Couples trying out the new Bettinardi irons. He, too, thought Bettinardi was reaching out to him to try new putters. As it turned out, Bob and Sam Bettinardi had Couples hit both the MB24 and CB24 irons. If you’ve not seen that video yet, it’s worth the watch just to hear how an elite player approaches new clubs.

Plus, you get to watch Fred Couples hit balls. I could watch that swing all day.

Low-handicap players shopping for new irons should add these new Bettinardi irons to their must-try list. Granted, that may be difficult as these are brand-new and are likely not available for demo in many places yet. 

Hopefully, we will see demo sets of these popping up at shops that sell Bettinardi putters. Until then, you will be able to order these online from Bettinardi or in person at the Studio B facility in Oak Brook, Ill. where they will begin offering iron fittings on April 5.

Find out more about Bettinardi’s new CB24 and MB24 irons at Bettinardi.com.

FAQ: Bettinardi MB24 and CB24 Forged Irons

Are these irons only for good players?

I want to say no but the answer is probably yes. If you are not an elite player with a scratch handicap, these irons will probably not give you the help your game needs.

However, if you are a big fan of the Bettinardi brand and you want to play their irons regardless of your score, play them. You get to live your life how you want to live it.

Can you get fitted for these somewhere?

Right now, the Bettinardi Studio B facility in Oak Brook Ill., is the only place where fittings are being offered. After April 5, that is. Hopefully, demo clubs will make their way out to other Bettinardi accounts so other people can demo them as well. 

Is the CB24 a game-improvement iron?

Compared to the MB24, yes. Compared to anything actually marketed as a game-improvement iron, no. Going with cavity back rather than muscle back may help alleviate some minor swing flaws but it won’t fix any major issues.

Is Fred Couples going to play the Bettinardi irons?

He sure seemed impressed with them in the video. Next time that I see him, I’ll be sure to ask.