The most obvious change to Callaway’s flagship golf ball for 2024 is the addition of one word “Tour”. Callaway realised that the Soft name didn’t always resonate with the better player which is a key target for the manufacturer heading into 2024.
This year, Chrome Soft will remain in the line-up, but Chrome Tour and Chrome Tour X will replace the previous Chrome Soft X and Chrome Soft X LS models that were marketed for better players with more speed. With a new name comes a multitude of construction changes to key components, including the core, inner and outer mantles, cover formulation, and aero package combined with a broad range of compressions the new Chrome line up provide serious options for golfers who want distance off the tee and spin around the greens.
Chrome Tour
This four-piece ball features a large rubber core encased in two mantles covered by a thin, soft urethane cover. Callaway updated the HyperFast Soft core at the centre of this ball to help golfers generate more speed and distance. At the same time, the thin urethane cover is easily grabbed by the grooves of wedges and short irons to generate spin on approach shots, pitch shots and chips.
Among the premium balls in the Callaway line up, Chrome Tour likely will have the broadest appeal. Off the tee, it creates speed and spin numbers very similar to Callaway’s Chrome Soft X LS ball, which is being discontinued. However, Chrome Tour has a lower compression (88) than Chrome Soft X LS (93). This gives players the rare instance of softer feel with more speed.
To make the ball more stable in flight and hold its line more effectively in wind, Callaway updated hexagonal dimple pattern, bolstering it in some areas with clusters of circular dimples. Callaway also developed a new paint application method that applies the paint more evenly. Those features and technologies also should make the Chrome Tour more consistent and predictable shot after shot, in dry or wet conditions.
Compared to the other 2024 premium balls, the Chrome Tour will feel softer than the Chrome Tour X, fly slightly lower off the tee and produce marginally less greenside spin. However, it will create more greenside spin than the new Chrome Soft and will feel firmer.
Chrome Tour X
This four-piece ball has a new larger rubber core encased in two mantles covered by a thin, soft urethane cover. While the new
box says Chrome Tour X, this ball is very similar to the Chrome Soft X. As with the Chrome Tour, the X has an updated HyperFast Soft core for more ball speed. Callaway said this ball generated about 1.2 mph more ball speed in driver tests than the Chrome Soft X.
The Chrome Tour X will have the firmest feel at impact, generate the most spin off the tee and with irons, and produce the most spin around the greens. Golfers who like to draw and fade the ball with their irons may prefer the Chrome Tour X because it spins more than Callaway’s other premium balls. From a distance perspective, Chrome Tour X will create slightly more carry distance than the Chrome Tour, but with a higher flight and steeper descent angle, so the overall distances will be similar.
Chrome Soft
Golfers who have enjoyed previous generations of Chrome Soft will absolutely love this ball as well. While the Chrome Tour and Chrome Tour X have new boxes and a new name, the Chrome Soft retains its red box and has the same compression level and feel. Once again, this will be the softest ball in Callaway’s premium line up, having a compression in the low 80s, but thanks to its urethane cover this three-piece ball still generates excellent green side spin.
Callaway said that for 2024 the updated Chrome Soft generates nearly identical spin off the tee as the 2022 ball, along with the same speed, but updating the hexagonal dimple pattern and altering the ball’s aerodynamics in the 2024 model results in a higher launch so it flies slightly farther.
The new Chrome family will be available from February 2nd for an RRP of €65 per dozen.
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