Somewhere back in early 2000s, a golf think tank got together and developed a checklist of all the elements that would go into being a modern, full-service 21st Century OEM.
At the time, the list was pretty simple. You’d need a killer driver with a cool name, fairway woods that can be sold separately, these new-fangled things call “hybrids” (whatever they are), at least three iron sets, and maybe a wedge.
Oh yeah. Try to be as Tiger-adjacent as possible.
That checklist has been amended over the past 25 years. Maybe the biggest update has been the wedge requirement box. To be a serious contender, you don’t just need wedges; you need a wedge story.
And to have a wedge story, you need sole grinds, more bounces than a YMCA gym on a Saturday morning and more groove than a Miles Davis LP.
(Look him up, kids. The grownups are talking.)
I’m no crystal ball-gazing soothsayer but from the outside looking in, Tour Edge might have finally checked that last box. The new line of Exotics Milled wedges looks like they’ll fill the last big hole in the Tour Edge lineup.
Tour Edge Exotics Milled wedges: What’s the scoop?
We told you a few weeks ago that this year is the first time in memory that we could game a full bag of Tour Edge gear, from driver to putter, ball and bag, and not feel like we’re missing out.
The wedges, however, were still iffy. I generally don’t get worked up over looks, but the previous Wingman wedge line was, uhhh, well, let’s just say they had a nice personality. Serviceable, but way too busy-looking and clunky for my liking.
With the new Exotics Milled line, Tour Edge is finally trending toward wedge playah status. They’re cleaner-looking with less offset and clearer options and a groove story to rival Kind of Blue.
(Oh yes, the obscure reference game is strong today.)
The new Tour Edge Exotics Milled wedges are cast from 304 stainless steel. It’s corrosion resistant, plenty durable and soft-feeling enough. The faces, grooves and sole details are CNC-milled. According to Tour Edge, that process allows for more accuracy and tighter groove tolerances, specifically a tighter edge radius and steeper sidewalls than basic casting or forgings.
Tour Edge has a name for its new grooves: SuperSpin™ because, well, why not? They feature maximum conforming groove depth and face roughness. They’re also closer together which means there are more grooves on the face than previous models. It’s not unique to Tour Edge as most OEMs are leaning in this direction. The idea, of course, is that more grooves translate to more reliable and consistent spin, especially in wet conditions.
Internal testing: The home team always wins, right?
The running gag here at MyGolfSpy is that the day an OEM doesn’t win its own internal testing against unnamed competitors is the day pigs will actually fly.
Well, time to head to the local airport, friends. The pork is now airborne.
In 40-yard testing with a 56-degree Exotics Milled, both unnamed competitors out-spun the Exotics. Not by much, only 60 and 155 rpm respectively, but the numbers are the numbers. At 70 yards, only one of the competitors beat the Exotics, this time by almost 300 rpm.
In wet testing, however, the Exotics Milled got its revenge. In 40-yard testing, it lost 444 fewer rpm than its closest competitor and 1,600 than the other.
At 70 yards, the gaps were even wider. The Exotics Milled lost less than 950 rpm. The two unnamed competitors lost between 1,600 and 4,000.
“The performance validated the effectiveness of our new groove geometry and increased groove volume,” says Tour Edge R&D VP Matt Neeley. “It delivers the spin consistency golfers need in all playing conditions.”
Again, these tests are set up, conducted and reported by the home team. Every OEM does this and includes them in their launch material. It is refreshing that Tour Edge reported instances where the competitive wedges provided more spin than theirs. The only other instance I can remember was with Cleveland and one of its Turbo Launcher fairway woods. Cleveland reported it had the second-longest carry distance of the clubs tested (meaning someone else was longer) but added that its low spin led to more roll and thus more overall distance.
Context, my friends, is everything.
An honest-to-goodness bounce, grind and sole story
The new Tour Edge Exotics Milled wedge line features three bounce profiles. That may not sound like a big deal but it hasn’t been a staple in Tour Edge’s mainstream offerings. The company does offer a forged Wingman wedge designed in collaboration with Bernhard Langer. That model features three difference sole grinds but with a high-toe design that starts at 52 degrees.
They’re also, as you’ll see, a wee bit beyond the Exotics Milled price point.
First off, the Exotics Milled showcase something Tour Edge is calling the TriGrind Sole. It’s a three-part sole designed for clean turf interaction and greenside versatility. It features a chamfered leading edge to help reduce digging as well as a flatter sole and heavy trailing-edge relief.
There are also three bounce options. Again, they’re the bare minimums for serious wedge offerings but it’s nice to see Tour Edge actually in the discussion.
LB is the low-bounce option. It’s designed for firm turf, tight lies and shallow attack angles. It features extra heel relief for easier open-faced shots. It’s available in the 54-, 58- and 60-degree models.
MB is mid-bounce and is designed for all-around versatility, mixed conditions and neutral attack angles. This is the bounce to get when you don’t know what bounce to get and it available in the full line from 50- to 60-degree lofts.
HB is the high-bounce sole and is engineered for soft turf, fluffy sand and steep attack angles. It’s available in 54- through 60-degree lofts.
Tour Edge Exotics Milled wedges: Thoughts on price
In our piece on the great testing year Tour Edge has experienced, we discussed the price conundrum the company is facing. It’s pricing screams value but its performance screams premium. As much as we love to complain about pricing, our knee-jerk reaction is that if something costs more, it has to be better. The flip side of that argument, of course, is that is something is less expensive, it might be OK, but it can’t be nearly as good as the “real thing.”
For that reason, we will raise our collective right eyebrow at Tour Edge’s asking price for the new Exotics Milled wedges: $119.99 each.
Tour Edge isn’t going cheap on the stock build, either. For that you get the KBS Hi-Rev 2.0 115-gram shaft and the industry standard Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 grip.
“A company our size needs to say, ‘Don’t look at the price, just go hit it, get fit and make your decision,” Tour Edge Marketing VP Jon Claffey told us a few weeks ago. “Our marketing brief has been to stop shouting price from the mountaintop. We’re shouting performance. We’ll let the price do its work at checkout.”
In that spirit, let’s put the question to you, fellow GolfSpies. If the performance meets your expectations, would you consider a $119.99 wedge from Tour Edge alongside a Vokey, Cleveland, PING or Callaway?
Let us know in the comments below. This one should be interesting.
By the way, the new Tour Edge Exotics Milled wedges hit retail and the worldwide web on Sept. 14. For more information, hit up the Tour Edge website.
Matty J
13 hours ago
I added new wedges at the start of this season (at $199 a piece). Would I try the new TE Exotics? Absolutely! and not because they retail for almost half what I paid but because of TEs history of quality products, which they seem to have doubled down on the last year or two. Every bit as good as the big 5! IMO.