**Cleveland CG16 Wedge Review**

[_MS22_]

This is a long an in depth review as well as a comparative analysis of Cleveland CG16 wedges. If you are considering a new wedge set for this season please continue.

 

 

 

WARNING: If you read slowly please do yourself a favor and excuse yourself to the bathroom now. You may also find it beneficial to grab a light snack while you are gone.

 

 

 

Background Info:

 

 

 

CG16:

 

Based on the Tour-Proven Design of the CG14 the CG16 represents a welcome option in the Cleveland line to the CG15. Bringing a small hollow cavity and slightly larger size the CG16 offers more forgiveness and a deeper-and-lower COG to produce higher, softer landing approaches.

 

 

 

Me:

 

As a former student of the game I took many years off between late high school right through graduate school, a glorious (and broke!) 8 years. Upon taking a job and having both cash and spare time abound I decided that I'd start playing again come the spring as my brother, father, and fiancée all play (early March 2009). I joined up here in April of that year to gather info on equipment since so much has changed over the past decade – quite frankly I was floored at the options compared to when I played (where did all these shafts come from?). After a few weeks at the range I was back into the groove and striking the ball pretty well with a hand-me-down set of RAC TP MBs. I got in 105 rounds that season and my HCP down to single digits (if you do not round up!) through nothing more than dedication. Last year, my second season back I started playing better and more confidently than ever getting down to about a 3. I consider my short game and putting to be my strong suit while I still lose strokes from the tee on occasion (rarely though) and that pesky 185-225 range. I am a mid-low flight hitter with a medium angle of attack and a quick transition, swinging at ~114 with the driver. I like long walks on the beach and am not fond of cats. If you feel the same about the beach and cats pay close attention to my thoughts, we may be very similar.

 

 

 

Review:

 

Through the review I will be comparing the CG16 to not only its Cleveland predecessors but also to popular alternatives that I also happen to have sets of (X-Forged, Jaws, 8620s, Vokes, etc). Yes, in two years I've managed to buy close to 10 whole sets. Yes, I have a problem. You done judging me? Good. Comparing the wedges this way will allow people to judge from their own experiences with the competition how these will stack up.

 

 

 

I apologize in advance for the lack of good pictures. My digital camera was lost when moving and I ordered a new one from Crutchfield about 6 weeks ago that is still on backorder . . . I did receive the additional lens I ordered however unfortunately it is not compatible with the iPhone 4.

 

 

 

Looks:

 

 

 

At address the CG16 appears to take notes from both the 588 (the quintessential wedge IMO) and the CG15. The toe is more squared off like the older 588 yet the face is taller especially towards the hosel as the CG15 is. Overall size is larger than the CG15 or a Scratch 8620, slightly; just a hair larger overall than the Vokey as well. At address there is also a little bit of offset noticeable which is new, though not a problem The sole has a touch more width than does the CG15 as well, I am guessing to appeal to a wider range of handicappers, though while playing I did not notice. Take note that this is marginal; you really have to get the calipers out to measure any appreciable increase in sole width from many of the most popular wedges. Comparing sole width alone to others on the market the JAWS line is just about the same width as are the Scratch 1018s. Only the TVD M Grinds I have here are wider in the sole.

 

The sole grind is reminiscent of the CG14, which is a good thing. What is new is there is plenty of heel and toe relief compared with the 588s/CG14s though nothing drastic like the Callaway C-Grind or the M Grind in terms of heel/toe relief (I tried to capture this in one of the pictures – hard to detect but one can when looking hard enough). Camber is what I would consider to be moderate to slightly above average, which would allow players that are not truly D/Ds to play these wedges most effectively, especially when coupled with the slight increase in sole width compared with the CG15s. Trailing edge relief is consistent throughout the set and is less than that of the Vokey or Scratch lines (of course Scratch offers custom grinds but I'm talking their "Standard" grinds which tend to have moderate or more than moderate relief). The leading edge is a bit too rounded for my taste but that is a matter of opinion and again I really only noticed it when opening up the face, but more on that later. Lastly the finish is perfect as there is no light reflection to speak of . . . not that we have had any sunlight here in glorious PA so far this year. For the record I too am wondering how these will look when sanded down a bit after a dip in some acid. I'll find out.

 

 

 

 

CG16 vs. TA 588:

Does the shape of the CG 16 look familiar? It should, this is a 588 from 15+ years ago. It was the best then and not much has changed!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cally C Grind, CG16, Vokey TVD M Proto

You can see the sole width differentiation as well as the grinds. The CG16 is very reminiscent of the CG14. Lots of heel/toe relief on the JAWS and TVD.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Offset: CG16 vs JAWS

One can clearly see the offset but it isn't some cray amount of GI offset, so no worries. I could not find it effect playability at all compared with the CG15s.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Camber of CG 16:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Face-On Head shape comparison: JAWS, CG16, TVD Vokey (front to back):

CG16 is a little more square in the toe and high in the heel. Also a bit thicker of a leading edge and a bit more rounded too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Feel:

 

On well struck shots the feel is just as good as any alternative on the market that is cast. They are soft and clean feeling with great feedback. Really if given one blind I would have a hard time discerning the GC16 from either a Vokey or Scratch 8620; they all feel great for cast wedges, and top notch players' using all three wedges worldwide is a fair indicator of great feel and feedback. On off center shots towards the toe there is noticeable vibration and adequate feedback that your swing was awry. Shots towards the heel however still felt crisp and soft but you knew where the ball hit. These are not for those looking for "Miura-butter-soft-feeling" but for those that like solid and crisp yet still pleasing. If you've played any past Cleveland, Vokey, or Scratch wedges and liked their feel and feedback these are up your alley.

 

 

 

The one single negative I have about these in the "feel" department, which is totally subjective, is that they are a tad on the light side for me. The specs I received indicated that they were D4 however my D5 Vokey TVDs feel much heavier. Nothing a little lead tape didn't fix though.

 

 

 

Performance:

 

First off I'll get this out of the way. These are forgiving! Your 40+ HCP brother-in-law should be playing these. Shots towards the heel were fine, as good as center strikes, towards the toe they were a little on the high and soft side but didn't lose crazy distance (~90%); I know this because my miss is towards the toe, just look at the face wear! (easy on judging me these were my first swings of the season). If you have trouble with your wedge game and hate to practice, these are better than any other offering on the market (*though this does not mean better players should shy away).

 

 

 

The majority of time I spent testing the CG16s course and range conditions were pretty wet so exactly how they play from rock hard fairways I am not your best source of information (*UPDATE on drier conditions below). I will say this; if you fit the D/D profile these are a solid choice. Though I consider myself to be somewhere just shy of a true D/D the wetness of the turf beneath the ball is something I have to worry about as my MP68s dig forever this time of year. My average divots were less shallow in depth in the wet conditions compared with any of the other wedges I tested along side the CG16s, perhaps the effective bounce is close to the measured; again a good thing for true D/Ds and anyone playing in wet conditions.

 

 

 

Here is the most important section of the review for most people as they only want to know one thing "How much spin to they help put on the ball?" To answer this in a concise manner they put adequate spin on the ball; more than my CC Vokeys and Jaws but, in my opinion, less than my Scratch wedges with the ABC grooves. It is not fair to measure how well they stack up against their predecessors with boxed grooves (like the MDs or V-Rev's or pre-CC TVDs) but currently if you need to play conforming grooves these are a nice choice. I'd like to see how they measure up against the new Nike grooves as they have a similar microgroove running at a forty-five degree angle to the ones on the CG16; and with all the R&D these companies put into their clubs you must assume they exhausted all options before concluding on which to implement.

 

 

 

Right now, of all the conforming wedges I've played, I'd rate spin from most to least:

 

Scratch ABCs > Cleveland > Vokey CC > Callaway

 

 

 

Full shots, knockdowns, and the 40-50 yard low spinner than one-hop-and-stops were all executed extremely well with the CG16s. From the fairway I hardly missed a beat compared with my older "cheater" grooves, though I do miss them dearly. Around the green they are rock solid as well gliding through rough with ease and popping the ball onto the green; very good from the 3-15 foot range when you need to get the ball on to the green and stopping quickly. I tend to short side myself going for foolish pins and I absolutely need my wedges to be able to pop the ball up high and stop quick. Full on flop shots were pesky for me as the leading edge being a little rounded which means you must absolutely commit to the shot or you risk the dreaded skull. When you stay down 100% and swing through to a high finish they perform as well as any other offering but you really must commit to hitting down and underneath the ball. Overall these wedges can handle any situation you may come across and they handle them all very well. Everyone from players right though hackers can benefit from the CG16s and not many other clubs can say that.

 

 

 

OK, now you are thinking up to this point I am being a typical reviewer in praising the equipment I was given as I am grateful for the opportunity. I am honored to have been chosen as a reviewer however I'll be brutally honest in the fact that these wedges have one glaring weakness and it is a big one. Distance Control! I spent 20+ practice rounds trying to dial in half, three-quarter, full, knock-downs, etc and for the life of me they are some of the hardest to control, distance-wise, wedges I've ever used. I hit full shots and ¾ shots nearly the same distance. Perhaps some of this can be attributed to the softer than usual tip section of the wedges compared with the C-Taper prototypes I have been playing in my other wedges but I could not find the consistency to hit shots 50/60/75 yards with absolute confidence with either the 54* or 58* wedge, and for me that is a huge issue as I find myself at that distance a handful of times each round.

 

 

 

*UPDATE on Firm Conditions:

 

Recently the rain has subsided here in PA and my course has dried out considerably. The CG16s perform much better than I anticipated off more firm fairways. While the bounce numbers are high the camber and trailing edge relief undoubtedly allow the wedges to play to a lower bounce angle than listed. The slightly rounded off leading edge also helps "pinch" the ball on steep blows really making the ball dance on the green. While many players that have firm conditions year round will opt for the lower bounce wedges (having 8-10* as opposed to 12-14*) players in areas like mine with very dry summers and wet spring/falls can play the higher bounce wedges effectively all year.

 

 

 

In reality I find that these are the closest thing to the CG14 that Cleveland could have put to market and that was a great idea. Though I hated looking at those atrocities (nobody liked the look of that big yellow rubber thing, did they?) that were the CG14 in my bag they were one of the best wedges ever produced and the amount of bags they were in on the PGA tour is a testament to their brilliance. I really think of these CG16s as an updated and conforming set of CG14s for the masses. I assume these will sell extremely well for Cleveland Golf and they should for good reason, they flat out perform how wedges should.

 

 

 

I would like to extend a big thanks to both Ryan and Cleveland Golf for affording me the opportunity to test these wedges and share this review with everyone.

 

 

 

Please feel free to offer up comments, criticisms, and questions.

 

 

 

If anyone wants more pictures of angles or how the wedges compare just ask. Also feel free to ask questions on anything else I may have left out!

 

I'll also add in that I enjoyed these so much I ordered a set of the forged CG16s from TSG this past week and can't wait to get them and try them out.

[LA_]

Well done on the very informative review. Great comparative pictures as well.

[Anakinn]

A good one!

[Sportsman]

still have a 588, 60 low bounce. Loved it. wish I had a full set of new 588's. Bought CG15's last year, 52,56, 60 so not upgrading soon.

[_MS22_]

Thanks for the kind words guys.

Stay tuned for a review on the TP MCs I just bought. Want to do a head to head with some other iron . . . maybe the new Razr X Protos.

[Dode]

Awesome review, after being away from game for 10 years I am seriously considering these irons. Thanks.

[Salant]

Awesome review, glad to read something so in depth and helpful.

[Green Valley]

i might buy these now. thank you

[golfware]

These wedges are amazing! Wonderful turf interaction, balance and feel. I'm chilling them to tap in range yet again!! Cleveland Rocks!!

[Green Valley]

they feel great cant wait to use them on the course.

[jmcdonald]

I love my CG16. I switched from Vokeys and I don't regret it one bit. Good write up OP!

[CheckJV]

[size="4"]I had to pee 3 times while reading your post. Nice review BTW.[/size]

[_MS22_]

Thanks for the positive feedback guys!

I've got another few reviews in the works coming over the next couple months, better pictures, some video, etc. Going to do a massive one once I decide what I'm going to replace my MP68s with.

These really are sick wedges, I liked these enough to order a couple from TSG in the forged version and they were so great someone stole them, filled them in pink, shafted them up with GD 85R wedge wedge shafts, and has them in her bag now . . . .

[mjmihal]

Best wedge I've ever played; I'm a single digit (8.5) and these baby's are great off of tight lies. I have a 50, 54, and 60 with 8 degrees of bounce in 54 and 60.
These wedges have really improved my short game after struggling mightily with the CG 15's; again, great wedges and a very nice review.

[mp29]

Got it. Thanks and enjoy them. I'll send tracking info.