Costco Callaway hex tour (2021)

[storm319]

19 hours ago, Orange County Hacker said:

I really liked the Callaway Hex Tour SOFT in the blue box but also noticed that Costco has changed to the Callaway Hex Tour in a black box now.  That is why I found this forum because I too was wondering if there was a difference.  After reading through here I got great insight but no solid answer.  So I called Callaway and got a guy on the phone who told me the following:

Callaway has a dedicated manufacturing facility for Costco (makes me think that is where the Kirkland ball is produced too).  Costco dictates what Callaway will produce for them out of Callaway's offerings.  Costco wanted one change in the golf ball and repackaging.  The only difference in the Callaway Hex Tour SOFT verses the Callaway Hex Tour is that the SOFT has a 50 compression rating and the replacement / new model has a 55 compression rating.  Everything else is the same.  The guy said the distance should be the same but the ball may sound just a bit clickier off the tee.  Anyway, I ordered a bunch of the black box Callaway Hex Tour balls for a tournament I'm holding for my non-profit and a box for myself.  I will be trying them out tomorrow.  I will let you know if there seams to be a difference.

 

PS - I might have gotten the last Hex Tour balls Costco had in stock right now.  They are gone from their website and I called Costco who told me they are out of stock and don't have an ETA for when they will get more.

 

A 5 core compression point difference is negligible especially at that end of the spectrum and more in the range of an allowable tolerance than an explicit performance design spec. 
 

If someone has liked one of Callaway’s similarly constructed balls from the past few years, they should have no problem buying these the with confidence that the differences in name/packaging outweigh the actual differences in the balls themselves.

[nunee]

On 8/2/2021 at 10:05 AM, rbark11 said:

Thanks for the review. I really did like the hex tour soft ball, I was hoping this newer version would be identical but sounds like it’s not 

I use the Hex Tour Soft now, but am looking for a replacement.

I have not seen a single box of the new Hex Tour golf balls any where in the Bay Area.  Been on the look out for a month, even asked the front desk to check stock.  They could t find them in the system, and I didn’t have an item number to locate that specific golfball… 

[nunee]

Went I. To my local Costco today.  Asked at the front if we could do a look up to try and find this in the system and check inventory. 
 

I think we found it, Callaway Hex Hybrid 2021 is what they had in the system.  $29.99 for the unit price.

 

No one nearby had any in stock.  Item was marked for deletion at the locations, so they were not getting any more in.  It looks like the item overall was marked for deletion on 8/21/21, so barely 2 weeks ago. I NEVER saw these balls in the warehouse, and I generally look at the golf/sports merch as I go through.

 

Guess I need to consider another ball…

[Stever39]

I really like this ball and wish I would have bought another box before they sold out.  I hit a high ball so these drop and stop for me no problem.  They are really long off the driver too.  I called Callaway to ask about a comparable ball and they tried to tell me Chrome Soft.  Based on the 3 piece and Hybrid cover I'm assuming it is a cheaper quality version of the new 2021 ERC soft with the hybrid cover.  I don't want to pay $35 a dozen but I like the Hex Tour so much I might cough it up.

[cardigan]

9 minutes ago, Stever39 said:

I really like this ball and wish I would have bought another box before they sold out.  I hit a high ball so these drop and stop for me no problem.  They are really long off the driver too.  I called Callaway to ask about a comparable ball and they tried to tell me Chrome Soft.  Based on the 3 piece and Hybrid cover I'm assuming it is a cheaper quality version of the new 2021 ERC soft with the hybrid cover.  I don't want to pay $35 a dozen but I like the Hex Tour so much I might cough it up.

If you look up pictures of the ERC Soft cut in half, you'll see that it's a very different ball.  The ERC Soft has a smaller core and a much thicker mantle.  I can't speak to the performance differences.

[Stever39]

21 minutes ago, cardigan said:

If you look up pictures of the ERC Soft cut in half, you'll see that it's a very different ball.  The ERC Soft has a smaller core and a much thicker mantle.  I can't speak to the performance differences.

I see that now.  Chrome soft with the thick mantle too.  Hmmmmmm I'll probably try out the ERC soft anyway.

[cardigan]

3 minutes ago, Stever39 said:

I see that now.  Chrome soft with the thick mantle too.  Hmmmmmm I'll probably try out the ERC soft anyway.

There are other cheaper Callaway 3pc balls out there that may be closer like the Diablo Tour and the Superhot but you'd have to try them to see if you like them.  Lots of people swear by the ERC, so it may be worth a shot but at that price point a whole world of urethane balls opens up.  DTC urethane balls like Snell and Vice are about the same price and cheaper if you buy in bulk.  QStar Tour and Duo Professional are about the same price.  ProV1(x) and TP5(x) practice balls are cheaper.  MG Golf usually (and currently) has older model Chrome Soft for much less.

[storm319]

On 9/18/2021 at 1:21 PM, cardigan said:

If you look up pictures of the ERC Soft cut in half, you'll see that it's a very different ball.  The ERC Soft has a smaller core and a much thicker mantle.  I can't speak to the performance differences.

The ERC Soft is a 3-piece dual core single cover design similar to the legacy NXT Tour and technically doesn’t have any mantles (both inner layers are made from polybutadiene while mantles are injection molded ionomer).

[nunee]

There is a Callaway CXR Control ball on the market.  Seems to be a retailer model, like Diablo Tour, and the Costco balls.

 

(Edit: the ball on sale at PGA Superstore is the CXR Power 2 Pc ball.)  This seems to be at Golfballs.com, they say it’s a 3-piece construction.  But details are limited there…as are back of the box photos.

Edited September 20, 2021 by nunee

[cardigan]

I wouldn't be surprised if the Hex Tour or some other similar Callaway ball shows up on the Costco website again at any point in time with no warning.  I haven't been to my local Costco in a few weeks so I can't speak to in-store stock at my store or in general.

[4ever9er]

https://www.costco.com/callaway-hex-tour-golf-ball-4-dozen.product.100779668.html

 

Looks like they are available again. Any more updates on how they compare to the Hex Tour Soft that they used to sell in the blue box? 
 

 

[rbark11]

Just ordered some today. I really like the ones in the blue box from 1-2 years ago, we'll see how these ones are

[rondre3000]

17 hours ago, rbark11 said:

Just ordered some today. I really like the ones in the blue box from 1-2 years ago, we'll see how these ones are

Please let us know how they compare. 👍

[Andy1964]

I bought a box of the hex tour in the black box. 
I am returning them after one round. I found they were 10 to 15 yards shorter with the driver. Short irons and wedges they were good, decent spin.

They had a good ball flight just not as much distance. 

Chrome soft and super soft are definitely longer off the tee. 

I play stiff shafts with higher swing speed, so maybe slower swing speed they would be ok. 

[nunee]

These are available (again) on the Costco.com site.  I asked in store, and they stated they were NOT going to get them, but they didn’t check the system.

 

4 dozen for $65, delivered.  (Plus Tax).  Contains 2 - 24 packs that were sold in store.