Cleveland CG16

[G.Review]

What do you think?

 

 

[Mike119141]

i just hit a brand new set o CG16's and they felt great!

Very smooth!

Mike

[HeadonaStick]

I have spent about 10 rounds with a new set of CG16's and it seems like time to share a few thoughts.

[b]Setup:[/b]

CG16 with Traction steel regular flex shafts and Lamkin Jumbo grips, standard L/L/L

[b]Looks:[/b]

I purchased a set of the satin stainless because I wanted a 4-p set and that is what was available. It is a good looking finish that so far has held up very well. I prefer the gun metal/black pearl but these look very good to me.

The medallion in the cavity is subtle compared to the current bright offerings of other manufacturers.

The one thing that I think could have been done better is the Cleveland script in the backside. The script would have looked much better simply placed on a smooth unbroken edge rather than a recessed surface with a raw finish. No script at all would have been even better. The whole thing just cheapens the look.

The head itself is big. There is no hiding that fact. A black pearl finish may have helped to hide the hugeness of the head, as do the bevelled edges, but there is no mistaking the GI nature of the head. At address it is possible to see the back edge protruding. Honestly, I think thee are the same heads as in Cleveland's hybrid set without the fill in the cavity!

I really like the lofts on the sole - although it caused some emotional discomfort when I noticed the 44° pitching wedge.

[b]Play:[/b]

After I got over the look, I got these to the course.

I was surprised at how these felt. With the steel Traction shaft they felt light, but it is very easy to feel the head during the swing. Usually I loose lighter heads during the swing and they end up all over, but not these.

Ball flight is the expected high flight, very tough to fade or draw these heads. Trying to work the ball simply takes away a few yards in distance and the ball still goes dead straight.

The wide soles prevent excessive digging even on fat shots. Again the trade off is being able to work the ball. No matter what, these go high and straight. If you play these you can be pretty sure you will get a decent hit regardless of the swing you put on them, with good swings being rewarded with a very satisfying feel (not buttery, but very pleasing) and high flight with a soft landing even with longer irons thanks to the Laser Milled grooves that appear to be identical to the grooves on the CG15 and CG16 wedges.

Now, having made the point that they go high and straight I want to point out that they do not balloon. I had a set of CG Golds with regular flex shafts that ballooned like mad - loosing distance without any wind! The CG16's have actually given me back a few yard I have lost over the years - mostly because of the carry.

Overall I find these stupid easy to hit from almost any lie, although a really tight lie or one on wood chips will create some issues as the wide sole gets in the way.

Finally, even with the higher lofts, for the most part the clubs play like the numbers - a 7-iron flights like a 7 iron etc. and the gaps are really well spaced. I suspect the higher lofts are offset somewhat by the higher flight as these fit in pretty well with my existing wedges - I am playing a 50° and a 56° CG15 and the gaps are perfect for me. Cleveland suggests a 48° but the gap was far too tight for my tastes.

[b]Final Thoughts:[/b]

As I said, these are stupid easy to hit, and of all the Cleveland irons I have played (TA5, TA7, TA7 Tour, CG Gold, CG4 Tour, CG2, TA7 Gun Metals) these are by far the most forgiving.

The trade off for the ease with which you will hit high straight shots is a very large head that is approaching hybrid proportions. You will also loose virtually any workability. I am able to flight the ball up and down, but not a huge amount. There is no mistaking the GI nature of these irons. That is not all bad - I was hitting Ping i15s and I was able to hit them well - but with my age and lack of practice the good shots were becoming fewer and farther between. I am enjoying he game more now, and taking cash from may buddies on a regular basis again. I can live with the larger heads

[HR Dave]

I went in the pro shop to upgrade my 2004 nike set, to some new game improvement irons. I had the Ping G-20's or Taylormade Rocket Ballz in mind. It hit both and liked them, I asked the pro if they had anything else similar and he suggested I give these a whirl. Well, as you may have guessed they are in my bag. As the previous poster stated, the are easy to hit, straight, high and long. I was also suprised that they were more than $200 less than what I had planned to pay So far I've only been hitting in heated bays off of mats due to my being in NY, but damn, for someone as lousy as myself to constantly hit the same shot high deep far and straight, I'm in love!!!

[chauchilam]

716 AP1s

[simonnd]

They are great irons. They are solid at impact.

[golfguyyyy]

Hi.... have not posted in years! Hope everyone's game has improved ;>)

OK, not sure if this is the place to ask about the CG16 irons but if so, and if anyone still has them, I've read the heads are pretty large and having had clubs with heads that are quite small (could not hit them well), I have two Q:s

Could someone measure the 'length' of an iron, meaning, measure the 'heel to toe' from hosel, across the face to the toe length of say, the 6i? And I read too that the heads are 'lighter'. Is it significant? Guessing not that much from what I read in the thread.Thanks!