Heads can be tested without damaging them for some time now, so the CoR(CT) can be checked on demand. Players have been known to request that one they feel is 'hot' be checked!
I believe from about this time each year, most of this year's model Tour heads - of which there are large numbers - are 'released' as players are pretty set for the rest of the year. The next model is generally released early in the new year, with players getting advance models over the 'break'.
The Hot Melt Port is actually in the base of the Driver - not the Face - so there is nothing 'super-special' about that from a performance point of view. As JackoG posted, it allows minor adjustment to be made to Head Weight, CoG (not such a big deal these days with the adjustment available externally) or sound. I've had a number of Tour heads and the only ones that had anything 'extra' was the R5 - the Tour version having adjustability that wasn't available on the non-Tour version. My Tour FT3 also had/has a 'Tour hozel' which allows adjustment of a degree or 2 each way. The classic R510TP was only ever made using Tour tooling. I once, allegedly, acquired one of Justin Rose's 'rejects' - With Rifle 6.5 Steel shaft. Certainly kept the ball low for links play!
So if the price is right, there should be no problem with Tour heads. But don't be tempted into overpaying. They ain't that much better, if any, than 'Retail' ones!
