Throwback Golf: Tommy Armour 855s Silver Scot Irons Review (2024)

Tommy Armour 855s Silver Scot Irons

As much as I enjoy the ‘latest and greatest’ when it comes to golf equipment, I’m still a sucker for the classics. Specifically, the mid-to-late 90s hold a very sweet spot in my heart. Whether it’s clubs that were out of my reach back then, clubs I had and loved, or just clubs that capture that period in time perfectly, I love them. If there’s one club that perfectly captures 1995 to 2000 perfectly, it’s the Tommy Armour Silver Scot Irons. So many cool range rats had them in their bags. Well, I recently stumbled upon a used set Tommy Armour 855s irons (4-P) and my nostalgia wouldn’t let me pass them by.

The more popular club from Tommy Armour was the 845 irons. They were a compact cavity blade that looked behind the ball and had great feel. But, not unlike today, some players needed a little more forgiveness, but still wanted the looks and feel of the “better player club”. This is exactly who the Tommy Armour 855s Silver Scot irons were made for. With an oversized head and perimeter weighting enlarging the sweet spot, plus some offset, the 855s was a friendlier option than its 845 counterpart.

The Looks

For a somewhat game improvement (GI) iron, The Tommy Armour 855s Silver Scot irons have a fairly “bladey” cavity back look from address. The head is definitely on the larger size, but the top line is moderate and the soles are certainly thin by today’s standards. In fact, many of today’s muscle black blades will have thicker soles than these.

When you look at the cavity of the club, it screams 1995. These irons were so popular in the mid 90s that their look was one of the most imitated in the lucrative “knock-off brand” golf world. (Remember how entire golf stores thrived only selling knock off brand clubs?) A neat little, albeit pointless, touch is the alignment line on the rear “flange” similar to a putter. No idea what purpose it serves as you don’t see it at address, but a neat touch nonetheless! Another neat touch – notice the modeling of the “855s”. This was inspired by Porsche branding at the time.

How Does it Feel?

One of the goals with the Tommy Armour 8-series irons was to get the center of gravity (CG) in the same location for each club. As you can see in the cavities, the shapes and depths of the “pads” vary slightly throughout each club. This concept was being explored by Ping around the same time, and later in Callaway irons as well. But at the time of the 855s irons, not many people were doing it well. Now, will these feel like irons do today with similar concepts? Of course not, but they do feel pretty consistent throughout the set which was impressive at that time.

Additionally, the 855s irons were a cast stainless steel iron. I’d say they feel exactly how you should expect that to feel. The Tommy Armour 855s feels very solid and precise, but a bit slappy with some click to it. They definitely don’t have that smooth buttery forged feel. While the sweet spot is generous (for a mid-90s iron), the misses are plenty achievable and they are going to sting – especially with a firmer golf ball.

How Does it Sound?

Like the feel, the Tommy Armour 855s Silver Scot irons sound firm and a bit slappy. When you miss the sweet spot, it’s definitely on the rocky side. Cast cavity back irons just have a certain “poppiness” to them and the 855s is no exception. It’s certainly not bad, but it’s there to be aware of. I, personally, once again enjoy the nostalgia that comes rushing back when I hear a ball struck cleanly off the face.

On-Course Performance

In theory, the Tommy Armour 855s Silver Scot irons are designed to be easier to launch in the air and more forgiving. While they are likely easier to get up in the air than the 845, it’s all relative. I wouldn’t say the 855s has a super low CG that gets under the ball and makes it go up in the air easily by any means. The stock shot is a very comfortable mid-flight trajectory. I would even say the long irons even produce low, piercing laser beams. (PS. Those shots are tons of fun to hit with these clubs.)

I would say the 855s is a bit forgiving, but nowhere near as forgiving as today’s clubs of this category. But, if there’s one thing to say about the Tommy Armour 855s irons, they are workable. Although they have a good amount of offset to help with a straighter shot (or even a little draw), you can really shape the ball either direction and flight them up and down pretty easily. It’s an interesting reminder at how much more workable clubs in this category used to be.

Final Thoughts – Tommy Armour 855s Silver Scot Irons

So are the Tommy Armour 855s Silver Scot irons better than the clubs offered to us today? I suppose that’s somewhat subjective, but I don’t necessarily think so. They aren’t forged so they feel “just ok”. The players looking for the playability and profile of the 855s generally aren’t looking for the offset they provide. I think players seeking the forgiveness and enlarged sweet spot the 855s aims to offer will find much more benefit in modern alternatives.

But are the Tommy Armour 855s Silver Scot irons super fun to hit and a perfect snapshot in time? Absolutely. I had a ton of fun playing around with this unexpected find and reliving some childhood range sessions! All I needed was a Mr. Pibb from the fountain and a hot dog to cap it off.

Stock Tommy Armour 855s Silver Scot Irons Specs