Having only started diving a little deeper into the Tour Edge offerings with the Hot Launch C524 driver and irons, I was happy to see the email that a Tour Edge package set was on its way to my house for review. Looking to sit alongside some very stiff competition in the best package set category, I took the Tour Edge TE-400 package set out for a spin…
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In terms of the clubs on offer, the choice is very comprehensive and well thought out, not only for those just starting out in the game but also for more seasoned players. The set makeup is quite heavily ‘top-loaded’ – as in there are a lot of clubs in the longer end of the bag as opposed for the short game – but I think that would suit the requirements of most people shopping in this market. Only offering twelve clubs rather than the full permitted fourteen also allows space to add maybe one or two of the best wedges to the bag as you go along leaving a little room to develop your game further down the line.
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We’ve got a driver, 3 and 5-wood, 4 and 5-hybrid, 6-iron to sand wedge, and a putter, which should be more than enough for most club golfers in my opinion, and represents extraordinary value coming in at £618.00 in total. For context, the very impressive TaylorMade RBZ Speedlite package set is closer to the £1000 mark.
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Visually I really enjoyed this set as a whole. The color scheme is a sophisticated black and grey with subtle blue accents both on the bag and the clubs which creates a really nice, cohesive aesthetic. I have to say, the attention to detail on the accessories is a real plus point for me. So often on package sets, I find poorly manufactured, flimsy headcovers that clearly won’t last more than a couple of months before falling apart, but not so here. The headcovers from the driver through to the putter are great. Super premium, thick, and well-constructed, they wouldn’t look out of place on any of the most premium clubs on the market.
(Image credit: Future)
The clubs themselves also look very strong with plenty of size to inspire confidence and good shaping in behind the ball. The driver is excellently proportioned and the deep face to my eye looks to show more than the stated 10.5˚ loft which can only be a good thing. The irons have a decently thick top line and plenty of offset to increase their playability, while the hybrids are among the most confidence-inspiring I have seen, with a lovely long heel-to-toe measurement and a great contrast between the silver face and black crown making them very easy to align.
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My only two gripes with this set visually would be with the fairway woods and the putter. Firstly with the fairway woods, the small ‘T’ logo on the crown looks a long way out of alignment with the center of the face to my eye, appearing at least a couple of millimeters towards the toe of the club. It might not seem like a big thing, but if people are using these as their first set, you could potentially pick up some pretty poor habits from that fundamental mistake. Secondly, the putter.
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I appreciate the effort that has been put into trying to make it more interesting than a standard package set putter, but I don’t think it has been executed particularly well with a lot of unnecessary colors and some less-than-optimal paintwork. That said, it actually performed fairly well for me so it is certainly just a cosmetic gripe which is always subjective anyway.
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Speaking of the performance, as always it is a little tricky for me to pass too much judgment as a PGA Professional, as my swing speed exceeds what would be considered appropriate for this set. However, I am capable of slowing that swing down a fair bit and when I did I found some genuinely good results. Throughout the set, they felt solid, easy to launch, and most importantly of all were extremely forgiving on mishits. My particular favorite was the driver which not only had a far more premium look than the price tag would suggest, its performance was equally impressive. High launching, great sound, and with a really powerful thump at impact, any purchasers will be pleased with what they find there.
At £618.00 for a twelve-club set with a sturdy and stylish cart bag, this is a very impressive package set overall. The TE-400 is also available in women’s and senior options.
