Wilson Golf Review for 2023: Are Wilson Irons Worth It?

When it comes to buying a new set of golf clubs or golf balls, there’s a good chance Wilson isn’t the first name on your list of brands to check out.

They’ve been around forever, but generally, the latest Callaway, Taylormade or Titleist goods are the most top of mind when it comes to new golf gear.

But should you be giving Wilson a second look?

Based on my time playing with the D9 and CB irons, as well as their latest Staff golf balls – I think the answer may be yes.

I’ve reviewed a handful of different Wilson clubs over the years, and each time I find myself genuinely impressed. 

In today’s Wilson Golf review we’re looking at some of the latest Wilson products for 2023: the Wilson D9 Irons, CB Irons, and Staff Balls. We’ll also touch on their unique super-game improvement Launchpad Irons.

These products have been in Wilson’s current rota since 2021 with some minor tweaks. I’m curious to see what they do in 2024, but these products continue to fly under the radar and their Dynapower driver is continuing to turn heads.

Ready to see if you should be giving Wilson Golf a second look this year? Let’s do it.

Wilson D9 Iron Review: Almost the Perfect Game Improvement Set

Wilson has done a really good job perfecting their game-improvement irons over the last few years.

I reviewed their C300 irons a few years ago when they first released their “power-hole” technology.

In their own words, Power Hole technology is “urethane filled through holes strategically positioned around the face of the club, which minimizes the contact between the body and the face while providing maximum flex and an expanded sweet spot.”

With each iteration of their latest game improvement irons, from the C300, to D7, to now the D9 – they’ve been moving and perfecting how these holes affect the golfer’s experience.

I can safely say in this iteration, it leads to a long and high golf shot.

These might be the longest Wilson Clubs I’ve used, and overall were very forgiving. 

As far as clubs for the mid-to-high handicapper go, I think they look fantastic. Each year they get a little bit better aesthetically, and I actually think the D9 irons look really nice.

Wilson D9 Irons: What I Love (And What I Don’t)

The D9s caught me a bit by surprise, as usually my big gripe with the Wilson Clubs I’ve used is in their wedges. Even for newer golfers, they historically haven’t ever felt confidence-inspiring. They didn’t have much in the way of feel, yet at the same time weren’t super forgiving as far as game improvement irons go.

But this year with the D9? That’s completely changed.

I thought the wedges (PW and Gap) included in the D9 set were very good. They didn’t feel overly “shovel” like, as many game-improvement wedges do. I was able to get the ball (high) in the air with complete ease, and also control aim and distance very well. I hardly had any mishit shots, and they just felt good.

If you’re a 15+ handicap and your biggest struggle is from within 100 yards, then these are absolutely clubs I’d take a look at.

However, while I was pleasantly surprised by the wedges, my surprise went the opposite way with the longer irons (5 and 6).

Usually, I’ve found this to be the strong suit of Wilson Clubs. I’ve even joked I was going to put the C300 4 and 5 in my bag to replace my Mizuno JPX-900 long irons.

But with this year’s iteration, I found the long irons to not quite live up to my expectations for them. The sound felt hollow and wasn’t overly satisfying even on a well-struck shot.

You certainly get more forgiveness on mishits, than say with the CB irons I’ll talk about below, but it didn’t feel like they were as forgiving or comfortable as previous iterations.

Not that they were bad, but not great.

Wilson D9 Irons Facts and Conclusion

The Wilson D9 irons look much better than many typical game-improvement irons, and I had confidence in my shots from the 7 iron through gap wedges (especially with wedges).

Overall I think Wilson did a very nice job with the D9 irons. You won’t hear as much about them when compared to other brands, but if you’re going to get fit, I’d make sure that you take the time to hit them.

• Included in the Set: 5-9iron, PW, GW
• Price: $749.99. But often you can find on sale for as low as $500

Wilson D9 Iron Fact Sheet:

Wilson CB Iron Review: The Best Looking Wilson Clubs…Ever?

When I first picked up the Wilson CB Staff 7 iron, I was thinking I’d grabbed the D9.

I setup to hit a ball with it, looked down, and literally said out loud “wait, what?!”

I thought I was staring down at the most svelte, and sexiest game improvement iron I’d ever seen.

Upon further inspection, I realized it was the CB and suddenly things made a little more sense.

But the fact remains, the CB irons look good. In fact, I’m willing to go out on a limb and say they’re the best-looking Wilson golf clubs I’ve ever seen.

But, as we all know that doesn’t mean much if the clubs don’t perform.

How do the Wilson STAFF CB Irons Perform?

The new STAFF CB irons from Wilson are their tour-level irons that were first introduced in 2021.

As I mentioned, at address they look very nice. Let’s face it, from pretty much any angle they look great.

From my first shot with the 7 iron, they felt good. 

The feel of a well-struck shot is excellent, but switching to these after using the D9s, you definitely notice that they’re true players’ irons and while far more forgiving than old-school blades, they aren’t game-improvement clubs.

I was only able to get my hands on the 5 and 7 irons, but both have great feel and distance. The trajectory was substantially lower than what I got with the D9 – but it’s not fair to compare those two clubs as they are targeted at very different golfers.

While first using them on the range, I handed them to a friend who is a scratch golfer and a notorious club snob. 

I honestly thought that regardless of how good they were, he’d downplay any positives simply because they’re Wilson.

After a dozen shots he turned and said “wow, these feel really good. Are you sure they’re Wilson?”

This is a testament to how far their clubs have come over the last five years.

Let’s be honest, when you buy Wilson golf clubs you’re not getting the coolest, most in-demand clubs on the market.

BUT usually, the clubs that are the best fit for you are not the ones you expect to get. For instance, I definitely didn’t expect the PING G710 irons to be the ones that won out in my last club fitting.

So if you’re in the market for new players’ irons, I definitely wouldn’t sleep on these.

Wilson LaunchPad Irons: Let’s Get Airborne

The Wilson LaunchPad irons were designed to do one thing: help beginning golfers get the ball in the air.

And you know what? They succeeded.

The LaunchPad irons are among the most forgiving I’ve used, and despite having a unique look that may not be to everyone’s taste, they accomplished what they set out to do.

I did a full Wilson LaunchPad iron review you can check out.

Other Clubs to Consider

If you’re not sure if these clubs are your jam, here are some other options to consider.

• Stix Golf – A full set of 14 clubs for under a grand? Considering they now have both steel and graphite options, this is well worth considering.
• Best Golf Drivers – The Wilson Dynapower actually got our nod for “best overall” when you factor in performance, features, and price.

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