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In this review, I’ll be taking a comprehensive look at the Callaway Apex CB 24 iron.
The Apex CB 24 is a forged cavity-back iron aimed at tour pros and highly skilled players. It’s designed to provide the best in workability, control and feel with a touch of added forgiveness to take the edge off mis-hits.
How does the Apex CB 24 actually perform when put to the test? How does it compare with the other models in the 2024 Apex line? Is it worth putting a set in the bag?
Here’s what will be covered in the review:
Read on to find out what you need to know to make an informed purchase.
Note: Unless otherwise stated, stock shafts and stock grips are used when evaluating this club. In most cases, the golf clubs reviewed on Golfstead are acquired temporarily for testing purposes and are not purchased. The review that follows is based on the personal experience and research of the author. Because everyone’s swing and body are different, results with a particular club may differ from person to person.
What are the reviews like?
Because of the relatively narrow appeal of these irons, consumer reviews and ratings are limited. However, critics praise the Apex CB 24 irons for their phenomenal feel, looks, and consistency.
What People Like
- classy looks
- very consistent and repeatable ball flights
- impressive forgiveness for a players’ iron
- wonderful soft impact feel
- gorgeous satin finish
What People Don’t Like
- relatively narrow appeal
- workability could be a bit better
The Features
The Apex CB 24 is designed to replace the Apex TCB iron which has been extremely popular on the PGA Tour.
5-Step Forged
The body and face of the Apex CB 24 is forged as one piece from 1025 carbon steel via a five-step process. This ensures a premium feel that is as soft and buttery as possible.
The cavity-back construction of this iron is rounded out by metal-injection molded (MIM) toe weights and an external MIM back weight, both of which locate the CG precisely in the sweet spot and optimize workability and control.
Progressive CG
The center of gravity (CG) of the Apex CB 24 becomes progressively higher as you move from the long to the short irons:
- 3-5 irons: the lowest CG helps promote a high launch and soft landings into greens
- 6-8 irons: a mid CG balances launch and spin
- 9-11 irons: the highest CG promotes a lower trajectory with increased spin for maximum control
This progressive CG optimizes performance through the set, giving skilled players what they need for every shot.
Dynamic Sole
This new addition to the Apex CB 24 iron consists of:
- a pre-worn leading edge to cut through the turf more efficiently
- trailing edge relief to help promote a clean exit
This Dynamic Sole design helps maintain speed through the turf, thus helping you make more consistent contact for all different types of shots.
MIM Back Weight
A metal-injection molded (MIM) back weight allows club fitters to find a swing weight that works best for you. It also allows for consistent visuals when building a mixed set with Callaway’s other Apex 24 models.
Stock Info
The Apex CB 24 irons come in 3-AW (20.5°-50°). Sets and singles are available.
This iron is also available in the following Combo Sets:
- Apex Pro Series Triple Play: consists of Apex Pro 24 long irons, Apex CB 24 short irons, and Apex MB 24 wedges
- Apex Pro Series Player Set: consists of Apex Pro 24 long/mid irons and Apex CB 24 short irons/wedges
The Apex CB 24 irons are meant for custom fittings and thus do not have stock shafts or grips. For this review, I used the True Temper Dynamic Gold MID steel shaft and the Golf Pride ZGRIP. Custom options are available.
Below are the specs of the Apex CB 24 irons. Click or zoom to enlarge.
The Performance
In the sections that follow, I’ll talk about my experience with the Apex CB 24 irons. Let’s jump right in.
Distance
As an unapologetic players’ iron, the Apex CB 24 is about as long as any elite player would need it to be, although there’s certainly a bit more ball speed and distance than what you would get from a muscleback that lacks a cavity.
Unsurprisingly, ball speeds generally lie in between the Apex Pro 24 and Apex MB 24. Lofts are a degree weaker than the Pro with the exception of the 3-iron and AW, and spin is a little higher.
These irons are designed to produce consistent, repeatable yardages. And boy do they ever. Distance control with the Apex CB 24 is remarkable, and gapping is very consistent, even in the long irons.
Forgiveness
The forgiveness of the Apex CB 24 is impressive and closer to the Apex Pro 24 than I thought it would be going into the test.
What stands out to me in particular is ball speed preservation across the face: even some moderate mis-hits may only lose a few yards of carry at the end of the day, which is exceptional for a players’ iron.
The muscle cavity on this iron evidently makes a big difference for mis-hit performance. Having said that, you shouldn’t expect to be bailed out when you make poor contact.
Playability/Trajectory
When hit solidly, trajectories with the Apex CB 24 irons are mid. Spin is mid-high, just a touch lower than the Apex MB 24.
These irons are very consistent and controllable, and are fully capable of precisely hitting your approach targets. While the cavity back does give a boost to distance and forgiveness, the tradeoff is slightly reduced spin and control, but I reckon most better players will not have a problem with this at all.
Similarly, there is ample workability for skilled players — definitely more than the Pro model. You can shape your shots with relative ease, whether it’s in the horizontal or vertical direction.
The pre-worn leading edge of the Dynamic Sole helps to minimize face deviations and loss in clubhead speed if you hit behind the ball, making your shot a more consistent and pleasant experience.
I suspect that many people who game these irons will prefer CB long irons and MB short irons as part of a mixed set, but the Apex CB 24 short irons are fantastic and can accommodate the controllability needs of the typical better player.
The Look
Like the other Apex 24 irons, the Apex CB 24 looks simply fantastic. It boasts a satin finish and a clean aesthetic that’s both simple and sophisticated.
What’s interesting to me is that the Callaway logoing on the back of the iron is a similar silver colour to its surroundings. This is unlike the Apex Pro 24 and Apex MB 24 where the black lettering provides a contrast and pops more. I prefer the latter, but it’s a minor gripe.
Compared to the Apex Pro 24, there’s less offset, a thinner top line, narrower sole, and slightly more compact head, all of which you would expect for an elite-level iron. The MIM’ed back weight is incorporated tastefully in a way that adds contrast and enhances the aesthetic.
The Sound & Feel
The feel of the Apex CB 24 irons at impact is wonderfully soft, just like you would expect from a traditional-style iron. It reminds me in many ways of the PXG 0317 CB which I recently tested.
The face doesn’t have that flare of responsiveness that the Apex Pro 24 has, but this enables precise and informative mis-hit feedback.
The softest feel will come when you hit the center of the face — it’s honestly the best feel in golf. On the other hand, the iron will let you know when you stray from the sweet spot since the feel won’t be nearly as soft.
The sound at impact is a muted and subtle “swoosh”. I really have no complaints here as far as players’ irons go, but these actually sounded a bit sharper at impact than the Apex Pro 24 which I suspect is due to the lack of urethane microspheres.
Where To Buy These Irons Online
If you want a brand new set of (or individual) Apex CB 24 irons with custom shafts, grips, lengths, lofts, lies, etc., definitely head over to this page on the official Callaway website before it gets removed.
You can also get mixed combo sets Apex Pro Series Triple Play (with Pro and MB irons) and Apex Pro Series Player Set (with Pro irons).
The Apex CB 24 irons are very expensive. If you want to find good savings, you can look on eBay. However, we highly recommend a custom fitting for these irons so you know what configuration works best for you.
Alternatively, check out PGA TOUR Superstore which currently allows you to place custom orders.
Final Thoughts
If you’re a better player looking for an iron with as much control and feel as possible short of playing a pure blade, the Apex CB 24 should be at the top of your consideration list.
Not only does this iron deliver the ultimate in consistency, spin control and forged feel, but it also has some of the best bag appeal I’ve seen out of any OEM.
It delivers everything you could ask for in a players’ iron. It also has a nice side of forgiveness thanks to a cavity back, but this comes with some minor tradeoffs that give the Apex MB 24 have a slight workability edge.
Are you interested in the Apex CB 24 irons? Have you tried them yet? What’s your experience? Let us know in the comments below.
