Equipment
WRX Spotlight: Callaway Apex 19 irons
Product: Callaway Apex 19 irons
Pitch: From Callaway: “We’ve created a new standard for incredibly soft feel from a forged 1025 mild carbon steel body, and for the first time ever we’ve engineered our proprietary urethane microspheres into a forged iron. The carbon steel body promotes amazing Apex sound and feel, and the urethane microspheres consist of over one million tiny air pockets that absorb unwanted vibration without slowing the face.”
“Our renowned 360 Face Cup employs a shallow, flexible rim around the perimeter of the face that flexes and releases at impact to promote fast ball speed for consistent distance on center hits and off-center hits. In the short irons, the spin control VFT Face is designed for aggressive shot-making in your scoring clubs…The tungsten-infused, multi-material construction allows us to locate the position of the CG in each iron with extraordinary precision while maintaining the flexibility of the Face Cup.”
Our take on Callaway Apex 19 irons
Callaway introduced its Apex iron line just over 5 years ago, consisting of its “Forged Tour Performance” Apex Pro and standard Apex, which it calls its “Players Distance Iron.” Unlike the more traditional “Apex Pro 19” irons, the standard “Apex 19” irons are slightly larger and utilize more multi-material technology to provide both more distance and forgiveness to the player.
These irons will fit a wide variety of players, from low to mid-handicappers alike. They can even be blended quite nicely into a combo set with the Pros. Aside from some technological enhancements, which we’ll dive into, there is new Smoke PVD Finish is available — including a darker Elevate Shaft — for those that prefer a darker look.
In the increasingly crowded “Players Distance Iron” category, Callaway Apex 19 irons are standouts. The sound, feel, and playability is once again near the top of the pack. Callaway’s 360 Face Cup Technology is no joke, providing consistent, dependable distance when needed. The original Apex 14 irons took first place in GolfWRX’s 2015 Gear Trials in the Players Irons category, and the line has only improved in the years since.
Some better players may consider the scoring irons to be a bit too large. They may be better suited the Apex Pro, or a blended set of the two. The smoke finish will increase the price (Starts at $1,560 vs $1,400) and it’s unsure at this time how the black will wear, as a darker finish is tougher to maintain over time.
However, if you’re looking for a Players Distance iron for 2019, these should absolutely be on your “must try” list. There’s a good chance they’ll also become a “must buy.”
Cameron Young’s WITB from his win at the 2025 Wyndham Championship. Cameron is a Titleist staff player but his bag is definitely filled with some unique clubs. Here are the clubs he used to secure his first PGA Tour win!
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX
3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 80 TX
Hybrid: Titleist GT2 (21 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus HB Black VeloCore+ 10 X
Irons: Titleist T200 (4), Titleist T100 (5), Titleist 631.CY Prototype (6-9)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X7 (4-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F, 52-12F, 56-14F @57), WedgeWorks (60-K* @62)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X7
Putter: Scotty Cameron Phantom 9.5 Tour Prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x Prototype
- Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Titleist GT3 (10 degrees, C2 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Project X Denali Blue 60 TX
3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 7 X
7-wood: Titleist GT2 (21 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 8 X
Irons: Titleist T150 (4, 5), Titleist T100 (6-9)
Shafts: True Temper AMT Tour White X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F @47, 52-12F, 56-08M @57, 60-04T @62)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: Scotty Cameron Studio Style Fastback 1.5 Tour Prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x Yellow
We’re proud to once again partner with 2nd Swing Golf to bring you GolfWRX Members Choice 2025! 2nd Swing has more than 150,000 new and pre-swung golf clubs available in six store locations and online. Check them out here.
What is the best driver in 2025? At GolfWRX, we take great pride in our online community and the cumulative knowledge and experience of our members. When it comes to the best driver of 2025, we want to know what our forum faithful think.
Since our founding in 2005, the bedrock of GolfWRX.com has been the community of passionate and knowledgeable golfers in our forums, and we put endless trust in the opinions of our GolfWRX members — the most knowledgeable community of golfers on the internet. No other group of golfers in the world tests golf clubs as frequently or as extensively, nor is armed with such in-depth information about the latest technology.
Below are the results of GolfWRX member voting for the 2025 best driver, along with the vote percentage for each club.
Best driver of 2025: The top 5
5. Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond: 6.02%
Callaway’s pitch: “For golfers looking for a fast, forgiving, yet workable driver, the Elyte Triple Diamond features a tour-inspired shape and is the preferred model by most Callaway tour players.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond here.
4. Ping G440 Max: 6.86%
Ping’s pitch: “The most forgiving G440 model, MAX has a hotter face to generate speed and distance, and a lighter overall system weight with a longer shaft (46″) for faster clubhead speed, higher launch and longer carries. The Free Hosel and Carbonfly Wrap crown save weight to create our lowest CG ever and increase forgiveness while contributing to a more muted, pleasing sound.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Ping G440 Max here.
3. Ping G440 LST: 9.53%
Ping’s pitch: “LST is an especially good fit for faster swings, offering less spin and more control with a penetrating trajectory. A hotter face, lighter overall system weight and longer shaft (46″) deliver more speed and distance while maintaining tight dispersion.”
@phizzy30: “Not a fan of Ping drivers in general, but 440 LST takes the cake. It’s super forgiving across the face for a low spin head, looks and sounds good and the ability to make it play neutral or slightly fade biased through the hosel settings is very appealing.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Ping G440 LST here.
2. Titleist GT3: 16.55%
Titleist’s pitch: “The GT3 Driver offers Titleist’s boldest combination of power and personalization through adjustable performance. Dial in the CG Track to your frequent contact location to make your biggest drives even bigger while taking total control over flight and shaping.”
@mrmikeac: “I’ve been Anti-Titleist for years and years and years (outside of Vokey, of course). With that being said, HOLY BEGEEZUS the GT3 driver is an absolute NUCLEAR MONSTER! This thing blew my G430 10K Max out of the water in every single category. Forgiveness is the biggest thing that stands out of me, the 3 model has always been one of the less forgiving models in the past but this GT3 can take bad shot after bad shot and still end up in the fairway, I think a ton of that has to do with the adjustability, it’s actually effective. Feel and sound is perfect, that solid crack is so addicting to hear and when you hit it out the screws this thing can absolutely bomb it. Titleist, I’m sorry for doubting you. You have converted me.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Titleist GT3 here.
1. Titleist GT2: 22.91%
Titleist’s pitch: “Delivering impressive distance from any impact point, the Titleist GT2 Driver extracts maximum performance through a forgiving design. Get the stability and added confidence of a high-MOI driver without sacrificing speed.”
@DTorres: “The Titleist GT2 has proven to be the best driver of the year. Packaged in a classic profile, GT2 perfectly balances performance and forgiveness while consistently being a high performer across all categories.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Titleist GT2 here.
Other drivers receiving >2% of the vote
| Driver | Vote percentage (%) |
|---|---|
| Cobra DS Adapt Max K | 4.85% |
| Ping G430 Max 10K | 3.85% |
| Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond | 3.68% |
| TaylorMade Qi35 | 3.51% |
| Callaway Elyte | 3.18% |
| Cobra DS Adapt X | 2.34% |
| Cobra DS Adapt LS | 2.17% |
| TaylorMade Qi35 LS | 2.17% |
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Peter Malnati WITB 2025 (August)
Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here. Driver: Titleist...
Cameron Young’s winning WITB: 2025 Wyndham Championship
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting) Buy here. Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX 3-wood: Titleist...
Camilo Villegas WITB 2025 (July)
Camilo Villegas WITB accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. Villegas was undecided on a 3-wood when we shot his bag. ...
WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Brandt Snedeker fired a final-round 65 at the 2018 Wyndham Championship to outlast Webb Simpson and C.T. Pan. His 5-under...
Dingo
Jun 26, 2019 at 1:03 am
Love the look and feel of these irons, however, after a month of putting some range work in and playing 5-6 rounds the face is wearing quickly!
brian
Apr 3, 2019 at 9:04 am
$1,400…
Peter
Apr 3, 2019 at 8:04 am
I have the ‘16 version of the forged. Love them, truly. The one thing to be careful of is you will get the occasional flyer. For example, I usually hit my 7 iron 170 carry but caught one almost too flush and (over) drew it 198 carry on the launch monitor the other day. Felt amazing but would have been pissed on the course. I’ve had the same thing on the course especially with a little grass or mud on the ball. For me, “forgiving” means you hit it your distance when you miss the COG on the face and can be punished (not always) by going too far on center strikes, which is an odd conundrum but I’ll take it vs the opposite!
the bishop
Apr 3, 2019 at 6:55 am
If the black finish is indeed PVD then we actually do know how it will wear and the answer is “not well”.
I
Apr 3, 2019 at 2:12 am
Best irons evah
JB
Apr 3, 2019 at 2:01 am
I have had the Apex Pro irons for about a month now. I can say without a doubt, that they are some of the best irons I have ever owned. Excellent looks, sound, feel, and great all around performance! These clubs will be in my bag for a long time.
JP
Apr 3, 2019 at 12:11 am
Love the look of the apex pro. If they played as good as they look, it’s a win
Big Mike
Apr 2, 2019 at 11:00 pm
I gamed the combos for a bit and sold them. Nice but nothing exceptional.
hellomcfly
Apr 2, 2019 at 8:34 pm
I know sole technologies are different from each company but I wish they would list the bounce specs on the website