Equipment
Exotics new CBX Fairway Woods, a “Spin Killer”
For golfers seeking a low-spinning, long-hitting fairway wood, there is officially a new product on the market to consider. While it may seem that every manufacturer claims to have to longest fairway wood on the market, an independent Iron Byron test showed the new Exotics CBX fairway woods to be the lowest-spinning and longest — by 16 yards — when compared to three of the most popular fairway woods today.
Self-labeled “Golf’s Most Solid Investment,” Tour Edge takes advantage of experienced designers and smaller production runs to create quality products. Its products sell under the brands of Exotics, Bazooka, and Hot Launch. The CBX line is the company’s most recent creation.
We first spotted the CBX fairway woods at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.
The CBX boasts a plethora of design improvements to help maximize performance. To achieve absolutely precise weighting, a super-thin beta titanium cup face is combo-brazed to the hyper steel body of the head. The club face also has variable face thickness, which helps preserve distance on off-center strikes.
The most notable aspect of the club is the center of gravity location. A carbon sole unit helps move the CG forward, and the unique shape (longer toe-to-heel and shorter front-to-back) positions the CG in the optimal location to maximize distance. The club was playfully nicknamed the “spin killer” in production at Tour Edge.
Finally, the Speed Ramp Sole helps maintain speed and contact through impact and turf interaction. This sole was based off the extremely popular Slipstream “Waves” Soles on previous Exotics fairway wood models. The club looks simple at address, with a sleek, all-black crown and no alignment aids.
The CBX fairway woods ($349.99 each) will be in stores Sept. 5 in lofts of 13.5, 15, 16.5, and 18. Premium shaft options include the HZRDUS line by Project X, Aldila Rogue Silver and Black, Exotics Fujikura Pro, Mitsubishi Rayon Kuro Kage Silver Dual Core, Mitsubishi Rayon Diamana, and Mitsubishi Rayon Tensei CK Blue Series.
Related
This week, we have our Tour Photographer, Greg Moore, on the ground at the OccuNet Classic at Tascosa Golf Club in Amarillo, Texas, for the 14th event of the 2026 Korn Ferry Tour season. With that, we see some great things in the Lead Tape Report as we roll into Amarillo.
Joel Thelen
Monday Qualifier, Joel Thelen is in the field this week. He has played on the Korn Ferry Tour for a full season in 2023, and he is back in action this week. A couple of clubs caught my eye this week in his bag.
First off: His trusted Titleist 816 H2 hybrid. This club came out in October of 2015, and it still remains strong in the bag. Also, take a look at this Odyssey White Hot OG 7, putting a capital S in the 7S model. This custom neck has some impressive lean for an arm-lock-style putter. The bottom of the putter is covered in tape for optimal weighting.
Mitchell Meissner
Taking a look at Mitchell Meissner’s bag this week, we have some great lead tape coverage. Top to bottom working from fairway metals, irons, and wedges. We can see on the short irons and wedges that there is tape at the base of the grip, adding a little counterbalance. Along with that, some tape on the short irons and wedges as well. Moving to his putter, he rolls the Odyssey 7 Bird putter. Meissner putts left-handed and strikes the ball right-handed.
Bud Cauley had >14 clubs in his bag when photographed prior to the Memorial Tournament.
Driver: Titleist GTS2 (8 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
3-wood: Titleist GTS3 (15 degrees, B1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Chemical Tensei 1K Pro Red 70 TX
7-wood: Titleist GTS3 (21 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Chemical Tensei 1K Pro Red 80 TX
Irons: Titleist U505 (3), Titleist 620 MB (4-9)
Shafts: Fujikura Ventus Black HB 8 X, True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM11 (48-10F, 52-12F, 56-14F), WedgeWorks (60-K*)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putters: Scotty Cameron Tour Prototype, Scotty Cameron GOLO 6.3 Prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Align
Ball: Titleist Pro V1
In our forums, one user has offered up a prompt for the true sickos, inviting fellow forum members to share every set of irons they’ve ever owned. As to be expected, this is a lengthy forum topic.
@Lamosteve began:
Can you name every set of irons you’ve owned? Here’s mine
Spalding Dots
Spalding Eclipse
Ram Lazer FX
Lynx Parallax
Mizuno EZ Comp
Ben Hogans
Cleveland CG Red
Taylor Made R9s
PING i20
PING iE1
Taylor Made M6
Our members in the forum have been offering up their own collections. Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.
- macedan: “Started with a hand-me-down Golden Bear set from my brother when I was in high school, never really played more than once a year or got into the game until about summer of 2017. First purchased a set of Cleveland CG4’s (I actually really miss this set sometimes, soft & not terribly large for a GI iron), moved into Nike Vapor Fly’s by the end of the year. Those lasted until spring of 18 when I decided I wanted new, so I traded them in for TM Rbladez. Honestly, although I liked the Rbladez, poor decision on my part, I think this was really about the only time so far that after a week or two I was kicking myself for not staying with what I had. Rbladez stayed with me until late last summer when I switched to P790’s and (knock on wood) I am hoping this will be my longest lasting set.”
- JimmyC59: “MacGregor Jack Nicklaus Triple Crown. Palmer The Standard. Still play these.”
- jgrzask: “Tommy Armour 845u
Mizuno MP-32
Mizuno MP-33 (2 sets)
Bridgestone J33cb – still own
Srixon i-302 (2 sets) – still own
Tourstage X-Blades – still own
Mizuno Hot Metal – still own
Nike Forged Blades – still own
Titleist 714 AP1 – still own
Cobra Forged SS – still own”
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Kristoffer Reitan’s winning WITB: 2026 Truist Championship
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Best irons 2026: Best irons overall, most forgiving irons, and more
Bud Cauley WITB 2026 (June)
Bud Cauley had >14 clubs in his bag when photographed prior to the Memorial Tournament. Driver: Titleist GTS2 (8 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura...
Hannah Green WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: Titleist GTS3 (10 degrees, D4 SureFit setting) Shaft: Mitsubishi Chemical Diamana RB 53 S 3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees,...
Asterisk Talley WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D (9 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 6 S 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D (16.5 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue...
Brianna Do WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond (9 degrees) Shaft: KBS PGW 3-wood: Callaway Elyte Titanium (15 degrees) Shaft: KBS PGW 5-wood:...
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Shawn
Sep 12, 2017 at 12:10 pm
Still gaming my MP Titanium 3 and 5 woods…Best feeling clubs I’ve ever hit.
Chuck
Sep 11, 2017 at 6:26 pm
What is so curious to me about the CBX line is that it is introduced just a few months after the EX10 Beta, right? And by “a few months,” I mean only about six or seven months, right? Even Taylormade never rotated a line that quickly.
Is there an explanation for this? Maybe there is something I am not getting, and if so I’d sure like to know about it. Is it possible that they came up with such a good design in the CBX they decided they couldn’t wait to get it out?
I have hit a lot of really nice TEE fairways. I really want to try the CBX.
Philip
Aug 22, 2017 at 2:18 pm
Do you know what the definition of “plethora” actually is? Regardless, nothing mentioned in the article related to this club is actually anything new, let alone ground-breaking. Besides, testing results can be so slanted before they even start … so it is 16 yards longer than the current competition, yet one of those was 10-16 yards longer than all the others, of which some in that group where 10-20 yards longer than all of the competition … yet no one on the golf is realizing all this amazing yardage for the most part. Heck, I can take an XXX stiff shaft 48 inches long and have the prized iron byron pound the ball out there … where is the context of these 16 yards, what was the clubhead speed, was iron byron coming OTT … if not for most the results are useless.
elgordo
Aug 22, 2017 at 11:48 am
Looks a lot like the CB4 from several years ago. Prob spins a little less. You can get a CB4 on ebay for $50.
Steve
Aug 22, 2017 at 4:34 am
The best thing about golf, buying new equipment and making the tee time….playing it is a distant third.
Wizardofflatstickmountain
Aug 21, 2017 at 9:33 pm
The newest club I have is a Callaway mini driver I bought used.
Driver: ping i25 driver bought in the plastic for $100.
Irons: ping i20 custom fit for a song.
Putter: ping wolverine $85.
Woods: Callaway steelhead plus w/ Aldila NV shafts. Heads were $20 on eBay. Shafts were $45.
The only ‘extravagance’ in my bag is a Bettinardi wedge I got for $80 at a show.
I’m a 10 and I don’t practice.
I’d much rather see a guy with all brand new everything across the tee box than someone w the rogues gallery I’ve got.
elgordo
Aug 22, 2017 at 11:46 am
Love this post. I hear so many people say golf is too expensive. It isn’t if you just look around a bit. IMO clubs really haven’t changed that much. And they certainly don’t change much from year to year.
Travis
Aug 22, 2017 at 3:10 pm
I buy clubs way too often and I’m a +4. I could easily stomp you with my “brand new clubs”. Shouldn’t make generalizations.
Wizardofflatstickmountain
Aug 23, 2017 at 11:05 am
If you quit telling people you’re a +4, you’d probably win more matches.
DukeOH
Aug 21, 2017 at 7:28 pm
I love TEE’s CB line of fairways. Compact head (<160cc), Ti face, nice stock shafts.
I know that their continued use of Titanium keeps their costs high, but if they want to charge $350, at least hire someone that's not blind from naked eye eclipse viewing to design better looking sole graphics. The worst!
JustinR
Aug 21, 2017 at 5:27 pm
The OEM business model for golf equipment has drastically changed because golf participation is plummeting, particularly among the middle classes who can’t afford the game any more.
The club market has shifted to the upper classes who don’t care about the cost and can buy whatever they desire. They can afford to buy the newest and most improved clubs.
Of course one may wonder if the rich have more money than brains when it comes to golf equipment, and they are the new gearhead class. Those on the forum who decry the insanity have had enough and probably cannot justify the newest club models and reject the disingenuous promises that never stop.
JOHN JAROSKY
Aug 21, 2017 at 1:03 pm
When is a company going to be created that makes really quality goods and will undercut these escalating prices from these major manufactures? Lets band together guys and girls and stop the madness. I can see the companies who shell out millions for advertising and huge player contracts charging what they do but would love to see a company come into the market that makes a great product at a fair price without all the other outside expenses the larger companies have that’s passed on to the consumer.
Simms
Aug 21, 2017 at 2:57 pm
It has been tried and has failed to many times, when a little guy trys something the big boys come in buy them out (if lucky) or put a law suit on them (they could win or not) that will drag on taking out every penny they have to fight….right now I think everyone should be looking at the Costco /Titlest battle…how long before Costco just pulls out on this one….remember when Callaway bought Top Flight the battle they had with Titlest over pattern infringement, that case was on books for a long time before settling out of court.
Tcann32
Aug 22, 2017 at 8:50 am
You’re right about most of it.
When people talk about the Titleist / Costco deal, everyone seems to think that Titleist (Acushnet) is some mega giant company. They are huge in golf, but Costco is actually a much larger “company” than Acushnet as a whole, let alone Titleist itself. Costco’s yearly net profits match that of Acushnets net sales.
The other part that isn’t mentioned is that these larger companies are losing money, and if they aren’t losing money, they aren’t really growing by much, outside of a couple of the companies. Titleist hasn’t grown and is losing more market share and TM is going down the path of Adams, the company they purchased to avoid patent infringements.
The rest of it is dead on. Miura has been purchased, Toulon was purchased by Callaway (Although they Toulon is still his own entity), and the rest of the botique brands don’t generate enough interest to be bought, besides maybe one particular brand who’s owner has the capital to do whatever he really wants.
Steve
Aug 21, 2017 at 3:23 pm
Cheers! to that……….wait a year they will be 75 bucks…..
Caroline
Aug 21, 2017 at 4:33 pm
But the club companies are going to put a spin on how last years model is obsolete and you are going to feel like your still not playing the best….for fun find a couple golf digests or golf magazines from 7 or 8 years ago and read the club and ball ads…it will have you wanting those clubs and balls until you re-check the date of the magazine.
LF-Colton
Aug 30, 2017 at 5:14 pm
Golf is one of the sports where its okay to be a year or two behind the newest model. I think you’re onto something here with your last sentence. Don’t buy into the hype too much and just buy for your price range.
TheCityGame
Aug 22, 2017 at 8:58 am
They all already make quality goods. I’m playing equipment from 2009. It’s YOUR FAULT if you get suckered into the marketing every cycle.
Heich
Aug 22, 2017 at 11:35 am
Yeah. Bring down the Government, John. That would be the start.
Geoff
Aug 21, 2017 at 12:28 pm
Love TEE, but I don’t know how they stay in business. Wait a year and these will be $120 brand new on ebay.
Simms
Aug 21, 2017 at 2:59 pm
Agree, you can barley get the tags off the shaft and they have a new and better model out there.
Boyo
Aug 27, 2018 at 5:54 am
It has been a year and they are still holding their value. Let me know when you find a brand new one for $120 anywhere.
Doug A
Aug 21, 2017 at 10:47 am
Looks great! Great shaft options also
TheCityGame
Aug 21, 2017 at 10:13 am
“Golf’s Most Solid Investment”.
You know what seems like a pretty solid investment. . .the Callaway Diablo Octane Tour. You can get one for about 50 bucks and go win on the PGA tour with it as your driver and your 3W.
Caroline
Aug 21, 2017 at 4:13 pm
If we all could just play what works for us a few years with being mind challenged by the club and ball manufactures….what is it about 80% will buy 3 yards off the tee no matter what the cost…but take a $65 (or more) lesson and gain 10 yards NEVER….