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Ball Lab: Callaway Chrome Tour 2024
MyGolfSpy Ball Lab is where we quantify the quality and consistency of golf balls. Today, we’re reviewing the 2024 Callaway Chrome Tour . To learn more about our test process, click here.
About the Callaway Chrome Tour 2024
The Callaway Chrome Tour has been three to four years in the making. A colleague sums it up well: “The signature piece of a revitalized Callaway golf ball lineup and strategy is the Chrome Tour … designed to compete with the Pro V1.”
Don’t scan the shelves of the golf ball aisle for the typical red box when looking for the new Chrome Tour. Along with the new gold-colored box, the Tour golf ball features other notable changes such as the logo, player number, brighter paint, different fonts and larger side stamp.
Jason Finley, Callaway’s Global Director Brand and Product Management for Golf Ball says, “I’m not going to tell you that going from red to gold is going to solve all the world’s problems for us, but I do think it will get people to think about us a little bit differently than they have in the past.” Notably absent is the “Soft” naming convention of previous models. Finley says, “The new name leverages our premium Brand franchise and the Tour name is a goal to better associate the best players with this product. Believe in some cases our Soft naming implied to some it was not a Tour ball. “Only time will tell if the Callaway Chrome Tour can be “The New Gold Standard.”
Callaway classifies the Chrome Tour as medium-feel ball with low spin for the long game and high spin for the short game. Furthermore, Callaway says the Chrome Tour has “high workability” which should appeal to golfers looking to shape their shots. The Chrome Tour is available in multiple iterations in solid white or yellow as well as in the Triple Track, 360 Triple Track and TruTrack versions in both colors. A cursory review of the Callaway website reveals other options: the Major Series and Lone Wolf. Whether you’re looking for something traditional, with built-in alignment aids or just something a little different, Callaway has an option for you.
The Callaway Chrome Tour is manufactured in the United States at their significantly upgraded manufacturing plant in Chicopee, Mass.
Key Takeaways
The first Callaway ball since before Chrome Soft to compete directly with the Pro V1. With an average compression of 87, the Callaway Chrome Tour is an option for golfers who prefer a firm feel. Callaway says the Tour has a “medium” feel. Finley notes, “Targeted for the better player looking for a balanced performance and feel.”Callaway Chrome Tour Construction
The Chrome Tour has four-piece construction with “new hyper fast soft core” that Callaway says “is engineered for better players who want the best balance of long distance and soft feel.” The Chrome Tour’s core is wrapped in a 332-dimple urethane cover. Callaway says “the cover system provides outstanding control and Tour-level feel” and that the “uniquely designed aerodynamic package is built for consistently stable ball flights in any condition.”
Callaway Chrome Tour Compression
The Callaway Chrome Tour has an average compression of 87, five points greater than the database average of 82 and on par with Titleist Pro V1 (2023).
Other balls falling a point above and below at 86 and 88, respectively, are the Mizuno RB Tour (2023) and TaylorMade TP5 (2021).
The compression consistency across the sample was rated as “average” (see below) with an approximate 12-point compression range across the sample due to one ball coming in at 78.3 and the highest at 90. Without the one outlier coming in at 78.3 and being flagged as bad, the sample compression range shrinks to 6 with a range from 84 to 90.
Compression Chart
We’ve had requests for a standalone compression comparison tool. As it turns out, that tool exists. We created it as part of our Golf Ball Compression FAQ page. At some point, we may merge the two charts but, for now, the plan is to include this chart in future Ball Labs.
Diameter and Weight
None of the balls in the sample fell under the USGA’s minimum diameter standard. All met our standard for roundness. Size consistency across the sample was in the “average” range.
Callaway Chrome Tour – Inspection
Centeredness and Concentricity
No notable concentricity defects/off-center layers were detected across the three dozen tested.
Core Consistency
The core colors of the balls were consistent throughout the sample. No unmixed material/chunks were noted.
Cover
No cover defects were identified in our sample.
Callaway Chrome Tour – Consistency
In this section, we detail the consistency of the Callaway Chrome Tour. Our consistency metrics measure how similar the balls in our sample were to one another relative to all of the models we’ve tested to date.
Weight Consistency
Weight consistency falls within the “Good” range. Slight variability to the median across all three dozen sampled.Diameter Consistency
Diameter consistency of the Callaway Chrome Tour falls within the “Average” range. Box 1 was slightly smaller to the average, Box 2 exhibited more variability and Box 3 was more consistent to the average.Compression Consistency
Compression consistency falls within the “Average” range. Boxes 1 and 2 had slight variability while Box 3 had a bit more variability with half on the higher end of the compression average. Compression across the sample ranged from 78.3 to 90 with a compression delta of ≈12 points. One ball came in at 78.3 and was flagged as bad. Without the bad ball, the sample ranged from 84 to 90 with a compression delta of six points.True Price
True Price is how we quantify the quality of a golf ball. It’s a projection of what you’d have to spend to ensure you get 12 good balls.
The True Price will always be equal to or greater than the retail price. The greater the difference between the retail price and the True Price, the more you should be concerned about the quality of the ball.
Callaway Chrome Tour 2024 – Golf Ball Quality Summary
To learn more about our test process, how we define “Bad” balls and our True Price metric, check out our About MyGolfSpy Ball Lab page.
The Good
“Average” consistency across the compression and diameter metrics that we test. An above-average urethane option with compression on par Titleist Pro V1 (2023).The Bad
One bad ball noted due to compression inconsistency.The Score
The True Price for the Callaway Chrome Tour is $56.56. That’s a three-percent increase over the retail price we paid at time testing of $54.99 per dozen.
At the time of testing, the Callaway Chrome Tour received a Ball Lab score of 81, one point below another firm ball with comparable compression, the Srixon Z-Star (2019), and seven points above the current database average of 74. While there was one bad ball in our sample due to variation in compression, the rest offered good continuity from ball to ball. A ball being bad for having a compression value significantly different from the median “could” be caused by a ball not being perfectly round, layer thickness differences and/or potential inconsistent core mixtures.
The Chrome Tour is a premium urethane golf ball that Callaway put significant time, effort and money into designing and manufacturing prior to bringing it to market. Is it worth a test run on your local track? The simple answer is “yes.” If you do, give the Chrome Tour more than just a hasty trial run, as you should with any potential equipment change. The Callaway Chrome Tour 2024 is looking to usurp the current category leader but only time will tell if it can be “The New Gold Standard.”
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