One of the most notable growth areas for irons in recent years has been the “players performance” category. Favored by those seeking maximum help and playability stealthily wrapped up in a classic, tour-shaped disguise, models like the Taylormade P770 and the Titleist T150 have proved to be some of the best golf irons of this type. With the introduction of the 2024 Apex Pro iron, Callaway has placed a new option in this space.
Callaway tells us that the 2024 Apex Pro iron boasts a sleek and elegant design, combining classic aesthetics with modern sophistication. For the first time ever in an Apex iron, a hollow body construction pairs a forged face with a forged 1025 carbon steel body to deliver a softer feel than its predecessor the 2021 Callaway Apex Pro iron. The 2024 Apex Pro iron features a progressive face design in an attempt to provide higher ball speed in the long irons and more precision through the short irons. The 3,4 and 5 iron have Callaway's Forged 455 face cup to bolster ball speed and forgiveness whereas from 6 iron through to wedge, features a forged 1025 face plate which gives a slightly softer feel. In terms of how this manifests itself in performance, I found the feel difference between the two to be subtle, but it is there.
Visually, the clean lines of the 2024 Apex Pro iron do a nice job of providing you with the feeling that you are holding something that could be deemed a “players” iron. The only hints that this club might be providing some more assistance are the slightly thicker top line, wider sole, and more prevalent offset. Generally, I personally don’t enjoy the appearance of too much offset, but the overall shaping of the head does a really nice job of minimizing its visual impact. As you would expect, the 2024 Apex Pro iron has a slightly larger overall footprint than its Apex siblings, the 2024 Apex CB, and 2024 Apex MB, but this does provide you with additional piece of mind at address. As I have noted in my other 2024 Apex reviews, Callaway seems to have focused on creating a really cohesive aesthetic between all the models which will be great for those looking to create a combo set.
I tested the 2024 Apex Pro iron on the firm, linksy turf of Saunton Golf Club, and found the performance to be good, both from a ball flight and user experience point of view. Compared to the other Apex models I tested, I did note a miss slightly favoring the left side which would likely be attributed to the additional offset just allowing the clubhead an extra millisecond to close down. This wasn’t ideal for me, but could certainly be functional for someone who loses the occasional iron shot to the right.
The strike right through the bag was satisfying, certainly a touch firmer than the other models in the range but nothing that could be considered as unpleasant. I tested the A wedge, 9 iron, 7 iron, and 5 iron and despite the blending of two constructions between short and long irons, only a minimal difference in feel was perceptible in the 5 iron which I just felt had a little more pop to the hit. Throughout the set, they zip off the face with a pleasing low-pitched sound and the impact of the hollow body construction soon becomes apparent when looking at the distance they cover. It was very noticeable that I was carrying the Pro iron between 5-10 yards further than both the CB and MB from the Apex range. Whilst I would expect a small boost in yardage based on the Pro base loft sitting one degree stronger at 33 degrees in the 7 iron than the CB, and MB at 34 degrees, it wouldn’t account for a full 5-10 yard leap, suggesting the additional technology in the head is doing its job.
Callaway has the 2024 Apex Pro iron ranked on its website as the least workable of the new Apex range, and whilst I would probably agree, I still found I could manipulate the ball flight reasonably well when required. One thing that really stood out to me during testing was the genuinely remarkable forgiveness, and I think that is the big story for these irons. The grouping of balls I hit during testing was exceptionally tight time after time, both front to back and left to right, and I can assure you that I put some very questionable swings and strikes on a number of the shots I hit in these sessions! This should really give even very low-handicap players some food for thought when considering these irons, particularly in the top end of the iron set, where finding the middle consistently is just that bit harder. I know if I were standing in the fairway with a water hazard to clear at around 200 yards, I would be delighted to have a Callaway 2024 Apex Pro long in hand based on my testing results!
As with the entire 2024 Apex range, there are numerous custom options for grip and shaft but the stock offering for shaft will be the Dynamic Gold Mid 115 steel and the Golf Pride Z Grip in black and silver.
The 2024 Callaway Apex Pro irons sit very nicely within the 2024 Apex range and, in my opinion, do exactly what Callaway claims they will. They provide added distance compared to the other models and exceptional forgiveness. These irons will suit a number of different categories of golfer. They would be a great addition in the longer irons of a combo set for a low-handicap player who prefers the extra responsiveness and workability of a CB or MB lower down the bag, or could equally work as a complete set for mid-to-low handicap players alike. I personally found the shorter irons to be a little too large and cumbersome for my taste, but others may enjoy this look. Overall, a really solid performing iron that deserves to be considered as one the best Callaway irons.
