The Tommy Armour Brand and a Look Back at Its EVO Driver

Tommy Armour golf brand and EVO golf clubs
A full set of Tommy Armour EVO golf clubs.

The Tommy Armour EVO driver is not currently manufactured, but the brand still does have golf clubs using the EVO name. That means that EVO drivers might, someday, be back in the Tommy Armour lineup. Below is a review of the 300cc Tommy Armour EVO driver that we published when that club was still being manufactured. But first, a few words about the Tommy Armour brand.

The Tommy Armour Company and Brand

The "Tommy Armour" name was long one of the most famous in golf. First, because of the man himself: Tommy Armour was a 3-time major championship winner in the 1920s and 1930s, then became one of the game's most sought-after instructors. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1976. (His grandson, Tommy Armour III, also won on the PGA Tour.)

Tommy Armour-branded golf clubs go way back. And the company and brand have passed through many corporate owners over the decades. The Tommy Armour Company even launched some famous brands: The Odyssey Golf brand of putters was purchased by Callaway from Tommy Armour Golf in 1997. In the 1980s, Tommy Armour was the first major brand to market a set of single-length irons.

And In 1997, the Tommy Armour Co. itself was acquired by TearDrop Golf. TearDrop later sold the brand to a company named Hilco Consumer Capital, and in the United States Tommy Armour-branded golf equipment was sold exclusively in locations of the sports retail store The Sports Authority. The Sports Authority bought the brand outright in 2010, but that company filed for bankruptcy in 2016.

In 2016, another retailer, Dick's Sporting Goods, won an auction to purchase The Sports Authority's intellectual property. In that deal, Dick's took over the Tommy Armour Golf brand of golf equipment.

Buying Tommy Armour Golf Clubs Today

Since the brand is owned (in the United States) by Dick's Sporting Goods, readers won't be suprised to learn that Dick's Sporting Goods locations offer Tommy Armour Golf products. Visitors to the Dick's website (dickssportinggoods.com) can browse a full line of clubs carrying the Tommy Armour brand: drivers, fairway woods, hybrids, irons, wedges and putters, plus several options for complete sets.

Tommy Armour clubs are also sold at Golf Galaxy locations and on that retailer's website.

Original Review: Tommy Armour EVO Driver

(The following review was originally published on July 20, 2003. We reprint it here.)

Reviewer: Rob Cisco

Reviewer's Handicap: 8

Club acquired from: Sporting goods store

Cost: $75

Positives of this Club

  • The price - you can't beat it.
  • The ease with which this driver can be hit.
  • Looks that are as appealing as any driver out there.

Negatives of this Club

  • The stock grip is not of the finest material.
  • Clubhead size is only 300cc, so it's more for lower handicap players. (Ed. note: Today, most clubs carrying the Tommy Armour brand are game-improvement designs.)

Playing the Tommy Armour EVO driver:
I was looking for a backup driver for my TaylorMade 300 when I came across this gem. This club comes in at 300cc, which by today's standards is small. I chose the 10-degree (loft) version - it also comes in 8.5-, 9- and 12-degrees.

The clubhead material is a "maraging steel," which, according to the manufacturer, creates a very thin face to give the golfer a larger-than-titanium sweet spot. And they may be right on the money with that statement.

This club has been one of the most accurate drivers I have ever owned. A very forgiving driver for the size of the clubhead. As far as distance goes, it does not match the TaylorMade I own, though it makes up for it in accuracy.

One of the few problems I might encounter with this club is that it does have a tendency to turn a draw into a hook. I think that may stem from the fact that I do hit a draw and the stock shaft may not be a true "stiff" flex. But needless to say, for the price I paid this club could easily replace most expensive drivers out there.

So if you're interested in getting a new driver and you do not want to refinance your home to get one, pick up the Tommy Armour EVO driver. This driver is not recommended for those who like to hit drivers that are as big as Volkswagen Beetles!