The Cleveland CG16 Wedge is the 2011 successor to last years CG15, which were the first Cleveland wedges to feature their proprietary laser milled club face. These were the 2010 Golf Digest Hotlist Editor’s Choice gold medal award winner.
Cleveland did a club mash-up on the CG16, using a slightly modified shape of the CG14 wedge which is a little larger and has a bit more of an offset and the spin maximizing technology of the CG15.
This years Cleveland wedge was also the recipient of the Golf Digest Hotlist Golf Medal. As I always say, the list isn’t the be all, end all of club guidance, but it’s certainly a great place to get your bearings.
For this golf club review, Cleveland sent me a 52, 56, and 60 degree Black Pearl CG16 Wedges.
Product Features:
Laser Milled Face
The CG16 Wedges feature Cleveland Golf’s breakthrough Laser Milled surface roughness technology. Using the precision accuracy of a laser, each face features four perfectly calibrated texture lines milled between each groove exactly to the conforming roughness limit.
This more precise and consistent surface roughness application optimizes ball-to-face friction and maximizes spin to the limits within the rules of golf.
Wedge Cavity Back
The CG16 is a cavity back wedges, unlike previous models, which feature perimeter weighting and geometry to deepen center-of-gravity and increase MOI. The result is 
improved stability and forgiveness on off-center shots whilst still maintaining that solid signature “Cleveland” feel.
C Sole Design
Wide constant width sole from heel to toe combined with heel and toe grinds forming a C shape that improves bunker performance while maintaining shot-making versatility.
Tour Zip Grooves
Precise milling technology in the Cleveland CG16 wedges preserves edges and maintains perfect groove consistency while maximizing the allowable groove dimensions, conforming to the 2011 USGA groove requirements.
Cleveland Golf Traction Shaft
Engineered from tip to grip to improve feel, the stiffness profile of Cleveland Golf’s Traction shaft reacts to the flex demands of any wedge shot. The tip section is slightly softer – improving feel and responsiveness. Stiffness was increased in the mid and butt sections of the shaft to assure optimal launch conditions and consistency on full shots.
Bounce Fitting System
As with most of the Cleveland wedges, the CG16’s offer two bounce options, low and standard.
Low Bounce wedges are identified by a single dot on the head of the club and should be considered by players who generally play on a course with a harder turf and firmer sand in the traps. The lower amount of bounce will help the clubs leading edge dig down easier into the turf and through the rest of the shot.
Also, players with a flatter, more sweeping swing will see better results using wedges with a little less bounce. This will help avoid skidding off the ground (skulling or blading shots) with the club and making contact with the middle of the ball.
Standard Bounce wedges are identified by two dots on the head of the club and should be considered by players who generally play on a course with softer turf conditions and fluffy sand because the more bounce will help prevent the club digging to deeply into the ground resulting in a fat shot.
Golfers with a steeper or more upright swings tend to do better with a little more golf wedge bounce because it will prevent their clubs from digging too deep in the ground on the downswing.
Review
The Cleveland CG16 Wedges for the most part are great clubs. They’ve got a nice solid feel to them and as with most of the Cleveland clubs I hit tend to travel farther than my current wedges. In my opinion, the Black Pearls with their sleek black finish and laser etched grooves are the most aesthetically pleasing wedges released this year.
The wedges I used in the review were the two dot standard bounce clubs and I’m thinking I would’ve been better suited hitting the low bounce clubs.
I hit some phenomenal chips but also some fat ones and a couple times I swear I could see the earths core. I also struggled with the 56 degree CG16 wedge out of the sand traps, it’d always dig down too much resulting in a nauseating flub.
The 52 degree has a swing weight of D3 and the 56 and 60 are D5’s and swinging the clubs feel great. These are on the mid-heavier side of the swing weighting scale and you can tell the difference. The weight feels heavier towards the head of wedge and as a result it feels really solid, which in my case increased my confidence of a successful shot.
So aside from digging myself to China out of the sand, it’s an awesome club. They’re available in a variety of lofts, from 46 to 64 degrees and is also available in a satin chrome finish. The MSRP on the Cleveland CG16 Wedges is $119.99 USD.
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