Equipment
Tour Edge Exotics E8 and E8 Beta Fairway Woods
Our 2014 Gear Trials: Best Fairway Woods list included all the names you’d expect: Adams, Callaway, Cobra, Ping, TaylorMade and Titleist.
On our 2014 list with those industry behemoths was also a much smaller company, however. It was Illinois-based Tour Edge Exotics, which earned a spot in our Distance-First category thanks to big distance we saw golfers create with its XCG7 and XCG7 Beta fairway woods.
Exotics’ new E8 and E8 Beta are the direct replacements for the XCG7 and XCG7 Beta. The E8 has been improved with a lighter, stronger 475 carpenter steel cup face, while the E8 Beta has a forged titanium cup face. Both club faces are combo brazed to hyper-steel bodies to improve ball speed. They also have a slightly more forward center of gravity (CG).
Coupled with the right launch conditions, these faster, lower lower-spinning fairway woods have the potential to unlock even more distance gains for golfers.
Like the XCG7, the E8 has a low-profile head design that helps golfers hit fairway woods shots from the turf. The E8 Beta is tailored to golfers with higher clubhead speeds, with a deeper face that creates a lower launch and less spin. That also makes it a good choice for golfers who primarily use their fairway woods from the tee.
To improve forgiveness, the E8 and E8 Beta also have an updated “Power Grid,” which is an accordion-like structure located on the front of its sole. It now stretches farther from heel-to-toe on the fairway woods, improving spring-like effect in those areas to increase ball speeds on off-center hits. On the E8 Beta, the Power Grid is made thinner to allow more weight to be placed closer to the face, which makes the fairway wood even lower spinning.
Moving the CG forward generally lowers a club’s forgiveness, or moment of inertia (MOI), but Exotics countered with cut-away steps on the heel and toe of the clubs that improve MOI.
To please the pickiest of golfers, the E8 and E8 Beta have a removable sole weight that allows golfers to adjust the fairway woods’ swing weight. They come stock with a 9-gram weight, but golfers can order a three-piece weight kit that includes 6-gram, 11-gram and 14-gram weights for $49.99. Individual weight kits are available for $19.99.
The E8 ($249) and E8 Beta ($299) are expected in stores in early October.
E8 Lofts: 13, 15, 16.5, 18 and 21 degrees
Stock Shafts: Fujikura Pro, Fujikura Pro Tour, Mitsubishi Bassara E-Series
E8 Beta Lofts: 12, 13, 15, 16.5 and 18 degrees
Stock Shafts: Aldila Rogue Silver, Aldila Rogue Black
Neal Shipley was the first to admit that he enjoyed his food while in college. But since his days at Ohio State, he’s slimmed down and earned a PGA Tour Card.
That hasn’t stopped him from having fun with his wedge stampings, though it’s led to some misunderstandings.
On the 54 (degree), we have ‘Big Fudge,'” Shipley told GolfWRX. “It was supposed to be ‘Big Fridge,’ so this happened a little while ago. ‘Big Fridge’ was a nickname between my college teammates and I, with ‘fridge’ meaning stomach, a big stomach.
“We told the Ping guys to put … ‘Big Fridge’ on it, and I think maybe some bad cell service or something, and they thought I said ‘fudge,’ so they put fudge on it.”
On Shipley’s 50-degree he also continues the food theme, this time with his go-to order at the “Golden Arches,” and his stamping “DONS 7.”
“The number 7 meal, the two cheeseburger meal, that was my McDonald’s order, back when I would have McDonald’s frequently,” Shipley shared.
At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals who all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.
It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.
Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, @raw10628 has a L.A.B. DF3 putter and Masters putter cover up for grabs.
From the listing: “Some great items here today, time to thin out and make room for next set of gear. All prices include shipping.
LAB DF3 Purple 33.5” 68° lie with TPT – $725. LAB Masters release DF3 cover – $150.”
To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link. If you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum, you can learn more here: GolfWRX BST Rules
Driver: Ping G440 LST (9 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 5-M4
3-wood: Ping G440 Max (15 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4
5-wood: Ping G440 Max (19 degrees @18)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4
Hybrid: Ping G440 (23 degrees)
Shaft: Oban Isawa Red Hybrid Shaft 04 Flex 70 Gms
Irons: Srixon ZXi7 (5-P)
Shafts: Aerotech SteelFiber Private Reserve i80
Wedges: Cleveland RTZ (50-MID, 54-FULL, 58-MID)
Shafts: Aerotech SteelFiber Private Reserve i105
Putter: L.A.B. Golf OZ.1i
Shaft: ACCRA Putter Shaft
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Aaron Rai’s winning WITB: 2026 PGA Championship
Russell Henley’s winning WITB: 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge
Photos from the 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
CJ Cup Byron Nelson Tour Report: Koepka and Kim’s newest putters finally get hot
Charles Schwab Challenge Tour Report: MacIntyre, Åberg and Spaun all switch putters, TaylorMade launches new Spider
Details on J.J. Spaun’s surprise putter switch
GolfWRX Launch Report: 2026 Titleist GTS drivers
Photos from the 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge
PGA Championship Tour Report: Fitzpatrick, Koepka among big-name putter switches for Aronimink
Photos from the ShopRite LPGA
Maria Torres WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: Ping G440 LST (9 degrees) Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 5-M4 3-wood: Ping G440 Max (15 degrees) Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4 5-wood: Ping G440...
Eric Cole WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: PXG Lightning Tour Max (9 degrees) Shaft: Project X Titan Yellow 70 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D (15 degrees) Shaft:...
Si Woo Kim WITB 2026 (May)
Driver: Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond (8.5 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X Mini driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Mini...
Wyndham Clark’s winning WITB: 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D (10.5 degrees) Shaft: Project X Titan Yellow 60 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D Tour (15 degrees) Shaft: Project...
Craig
Sep 10, 2014 at 1:40 pm
It really cracks me up when I hear or read about people not liking the graphics on the sole of the club. Who gives a fat rat’s ass what is printed on the sole? Besides taking off and putting on the head cover, when else are you going to see it? Now to that end, why do we need to see three photos from different angles of the sole? One pic from the address position would be nice so it would give me a better perspective of how the club will look while trying to play it. I guess if I ever have to hit my 3 wood left handed I would have a different opinion. Just sayin’…
Danny
Sep 10, 2014 at 10:53 am
I got a Beta 7 this year and swear by it. I’ve never could hit a 3 wood off the deck with consistency. Tried the 910F, 913f, RBZ Tour, SLDR, and X 2Hot – I was thinking about scrapping the fairway wood all together because it was costing me strokes when I pulled it from the bag.
I tried the TEE Beta at PGA Superstore one day and couldn’t believe how good it felt, and how easy it was to lift. I thought the simulator was off. I went home that day and couldn’t stop lusting after it so I bought it, 4 wood to be exact because the 3 wood went as far as my driver.
I’ve had it now for 2 months and can tell you it’s the real deal. It’s so easy to hit off the deck that I often hit it off the deck off tee boxes. They make GREAT clubs
Dane
Nov 11, 2014 at 12:58 am
Which store did you buy from? I work at the palm desert pga tour superstore and just got my E8 beta today and can’t wait to hit it. These guys might not be a Goliath but they play the David role so well. I CRUSH these fairways!
Don
Sep 10, 2014 at 10:20 am
I have never tried a tour exotics product. Based on what I hear about their performance, maybe I should. I just can’t, however, just can’t get over how toyish their sticks look. These woods look like playstation controllers.
Dale Doback
Sep 10, 2014 at 12:01 pm
I currently game the XGC6 driver 3wood and a 3hybrid. I tested everything and from my rocketballz 3wood with the TEE I picked up 10 mph of ballspeed. The ballspeed margin has shrunk to about 4mph with the x2hot and 6mph with the SLDR. The feel on the drivers and fairways are really good. The XGC6 fairway looks similar to a titleist FD but is hotter and much more forgiving although the new 915s are supposed to longer than the 913s. Even though the tour edge fairways produced the highest ballspeeds consistently and it holds true for the xgc7 betas as well, they are tied for the longest distance so you have to be smart in what you are looking for a fairway to do. The Callaway X2hots are actually just as long maybe even a little longer and with lower ball speed because they spin a lot less. My xgc6 spins around 3200 rpm but the X2hot was around 2500. I went with the TEE because I still use it off the fairway and with super low spin with the X2hot or SLDR at 2200 rpm I couldn’t hold a green. If I were looking for a fairway wood to use primarily off the tee It would be hard to pass up the x2hot. Also TEE shafts are very light and while good aftermarkets for sub100mph swing speeds they did not work for me at all. I picked up the xgc6 because it performed better than anything else on the market and at $150 on sale I put my money in finding the right shaft combo for the club. I can’t say enough good things about one of the new woods TEE is making and if you aren’t at least comparing them when making a possible purchase you are doing yourself a disservice.
Gonzo God
Sep 10, 2014 at 12:27 am
Let the watered down Rogues flood the market!
ams165
Sep 10, 2014 at 1:58 pm
Just like the Speeders they put in the CB Pro…..
Real watered down….
Chuck
Sep 11, 2014 at 12:08 am
That one was a real deal only because they charged 499 for it