Callaway X-Tour Irons: The Company's First Premium, Forged Set

Callaway Golf did something brand new when it introduced the X-Tour irons: It made a set of forged irons. The Callaway X-Tour irons were the company's very first forged irons when they debuted in 2005. (Related: What is the difference between forged and cast irons?)

That was a departure for a company that made its mark in game-improvement golf clubs, which included all of its earliest iron sets with their focus on extreme perimeter weighting.

Today Callaway makes premium sets, forged sets, players' irons, along with what it continues to be well-known for: golf clubs that help recreational golfers "miss better."

But that original X-Tour iron set is where Callaway's entry into the premium forged irons segment of the market began.

Finding/Buying Callaway X-Tour Irons Today

The X-Tour irons can still be found through resellers and sites/shops that focus on used golf clubs. According to the PGA.com Value Guide, the resale value of X-Tour irons today is around $70, but you might find them for more or less depending on the source and the condition. We've seen them listed on CallawayPreOwned.com, where they tend to be more expensive — but you are getting them semi-direct from the source that way. (Given how old the set is today, the original X-Tours are getting harder to find. But Callaway made multiple follow-on X-Tour sets in later years, too.)

Looking Back at the Callaway X-Tour Irons

How were the Callaway X-Tour irons described at the time of their debut? That debut was in 2005. Here's what we wrote about them in real time:

March 21, 2005 — The new set of irons from Callaway Golf is new not just for consumers, but for the company, as well. The Callaway X-Tour Irons represent the entry of Callaway — a company built on game-improvement — into the forged irons marketplace.

The X-Tour Irons were designed by Roger Cleveland and, while forged, still feature many of the qualities that have made Callaway irons so popular.

"It has been very exciting for me to work on Callaway Golf's first iron offering in a category that appeals to so many passionate and skilled golfers," Cleveland said. "I believe the X-Tour Irons bring a new level of performance in shot-making that can be easily discerned and enjoyed by better golfers."

The Callaway X-Tour Irons begin shipping to pro shops on April 15, 2005. The MSRP for the set (3-PW) is $1,280.

Callaway says the X-Tour set offers the best of both worlds, "... the playability and feel that better golfers demand (along with) proprietary technologies that have established Callaway Golf as the world's leader in golf equipment."

The Callaway X-Tour Irons feature a notch-weighted, cavity-back head to which the face plate is laser-welded. The back cavity is precision-milled to perfectly fit the face. Both pieces of the clubhead are forged from soft, 1020 carbon steel.

The 2-piece forging allows Callaway, the company said, to incorporate the other technologies well-known to Callaway fans: the 360-degree Undercut Channel, Extreme Notch Weighting and a modified bore through hosel.

The 360-degree Undercut Channel and Extreme Notch Weighting are designed to maximize perimeter weighting, moving more weight to the heel and toe. These qualities help stabilize the club through impact, helping improve the ball flight on mis-hits. These features also provide a deeper center of gravity for more ease of use with the long irons and a higher launch angle.

The modified bore through hosel is longer than typically found in Callaway's S2H2 Technology. The location and length of the hosel further influences the center of gravity, moving it more toward the heel. This quality, Callaway says, helps workability.

The Callaway X-Tour Irons have been in use on professional tours for a while already, with Phil Mickelson and Annika Sorenstam among those pros using them.

The standard shaft is True Temper Dynamic Gold steel shafts in flexes of R300 (regular), S300 (stiff), and X100 (extra stiff). A 2-iron can be special-ordered to add to the 3-PW standard set.