About this Review: This review is my honest opinion of the golf club, which I purchased with my own money in August of 2022.

My take

The Callaway Apex Utility Wood (UW) has found a spot in my bag. The UW is a versatile and unique club that is easy to hit out of a variety of lies as well as off the tee. It is aimed at more advanced players who are looking for a neutral to slightly fade-biased club to fit between a 3 wood and the longest iron in their bag.

About the club I own

• Model: 2022 Callaway Apex UW
• Loft setting: 17°
• Shaft type: Mitsubishi Tensei AV White
• Shaft flex: Extra Stiff

About me

• Average score: 72
• Handicap: +1.3
• Experience: 37 years
• Right/Left-Handed: Right-handed
• Typical ball flight: High Draw
• Golf ball used: Callaway Chrome Soft X
• Club swing speed: 106 mph (driver), 95 mph with Callaway UW

Test conditions

• When I bought the club: August 2022
• Days tested: 20
• Where I’ve used it: On course and on SkyTrak simulator
• Weather and wind conditions: Rain and wind to warm summer days

How it performs

What I was looking for

I have changed the set makeup of my bag, so I was looking for a club that I could hit further than my TaylorMade SIM Max 19° Hybrid. The SIM Max Hybrid was a great club for me because I could easily control the trajectory and the flight of the ball with it. But I wanted a club that would carry further and offer me the same control.

Why I chose this club

I chose the Callaway Apex UW because I get the control, distance, and flight I want out of a club that, for me, will carry around 220–225 yards. I did test other fairway woods and hybrids. Fairway woods and I have never gotten along; I hit them too high and they like to go left. I also tried other hybrids: 19° hybrids did not go far enough, and 17° hybrids did not launch high enough or hold greens well.

What I love about it

• Distance: I find that my distance is very similar to other hybrids, but it flies higher and lands softer. This allowed me to go lower in loft but maintain the same height and get the distance I needed for this spot in the bag.
• Forgiveness: There are more forgiving clubs out there, but for an advanced players’ club, this is very forgiving. Especially in the direction the ball flies. For me, this club likes to fly straight, especially on mishits. Whereas in the past, my hybrids would go left, with this club they definitely fly straighter. However, for someone who struggles with a slice, this may not be the ideal club. I found the Callaway UW has a very neutral bias to slightly fade bias. This could be a problem for a golfer who hits the ball to the right.
• Workability: The fade is not the easiest shot for me, but I can hit it with this club. I also feel confident hitting the Callaway UW high or low.
• Spin: This is what makes the Callaway UW so good. The spin is very consistent no matter where I hit it on the face. The consistent spin rates are what make this club easy to control the trajectory and to have consistent distances when working the ball left-to-right or right-to-left.
• Sound: The sound of the Callaway UW is not pingy or loud at all and leads to a very solid feel.
• Launch Angle: For me, this club launches just as it should. If I am trying to hit it low, it will come out that way. If I need to hit high, I can easily do that. The launch angle is what I need, when I need it.
• Feel: The feel is very solid. I would say it feels more like a wood than a hybrid, but for me that is great. When I hit well, I know it. And if I miss it, I know it as well.

Issues I’ve encountered

• Adjustability: This club is not adjustable, so the golfer needs to know what loft they would like.

Favorite moment with this club

What sold me on the club was a round that I was not playing very well and struggling with missing the ball to the left. We came to the 18th hole at White Pine National Golf course, which is a reachable par 5, but the second shot is tight. I had 225 to the pin bunkers left, trees right, and a narrow green. I pulled the UW out and hit it to 15’ pin high. It was a day that if I had the hybrid in the bag, I probably would have laid up because it did like to go left days like that. Since then, I have hit the club many times, and it seems like every time I look up it’s going the direction I want with the flight I want.

Value for the money vs. other options

Callaway classifies the UW as a fairway wood but says the performance is between a hybrid and a fairway wood. Comparing the UW to other Callaway clubs that I think this player would be interested in, the UW is just $20 more than the Rogue ST Pro Hybrid, and $50 less than the Rogue ST LS Fairway Wood. With that in mind, I think the UW is a great value. It has the best of a fairway wood and a hybrid all wrapped into one, but is priced closer to the hybrid price point.

Final verdict

The Callaway Apex UW is a versatile, consistent, and forgiving club designed for the better player or the golfer who does not want to see the ball go left. I have found the perfect club to fill the gap between my 3 wood and 4 iron.