The new MacGregor 2024 irons have dropped during what is usually a fairly quiet time for releases.
However, this range might just have a lesson for other golf brands about getting it right over getting it out.
Some January releases can feel rushed with clubs brought out all too often too similar to a previous iteration of the line or another club in their lineup.
The MacGregor 2024 irons slot into mostly pre-existing categories of irons, and all come in at what you might call a reasonable price point, at least when it comes to a direct-to-consumer brand.
MacGregor MACSPD
The new MacGregor MACSPD irons are hollow-body, foam-filled player’s distance irons with some forgiveness features added to the package.
These do not serve as a replacement for the MT86 distance irons that MacGregor produces.
Simon Millington, who revived the MacGregor brand, points out that the MACSPDs are targeted at a broader market than the MT86s.
“There are similarities to the MT86 irons, but this one has a slightly wider sole and is slightly more forgiving,” Millington told MyGolfSpy.
“And it’s more competitively priced than MT86, which is something we’re trying to do with the new stuff.”
The MACSPDs look similar to clubs with the same target market, but the design is an original one developed by Millington and Callaway/Odyssey designer Larry Tang.
“I wouldn’t say it’s a game-changing design,” said Millington.
“Larry had input so we took my original idea and he worked it up. So I’m giving myself more credit.”
MacGregor MT Milled and MT-Pro Irons
There isn’t much in the way of nods to history and tradition when it comes to the MT Milled and MT-Pro Irons.
“We wanted them to look so clean,” Millington continued.
“We want brand elevation and we’re trying to make stuff better and better.”
Both iron sets are forgings made from a single piece of 1020 carbon steel. The MT Milled is a player’s cavity back that has been completely CNC machined.
The MT-Pro has a prominent horizontal back channel and more mass low on the backside, which lowers the CG and assists in relative forgiveness, making it easier to get the ball up in the air. However, the MT Milled is the more forgiving of the two clubs.
The relaunch of the MacGregor brand has been careful and considered, and Millington appears to have a firm hold on their direction.
“We’re trying to do better than just accepting what you get from any factory,” he said.
“Part of the original design is what you see but the bigger part is what’s underneath the hood.”
