Putter Talk

Byron Morgan has been enjoying quite a bit of success lately. With the addition of the 006, 007, and 008x putters, he’s been on most collector’s “Short List” of preferred putter makers. We got a chance to check out the first “006 Long Neck” last week…take a few min and read what we thought.

After a long hiatus filled with funky-looking plastic inserts, 1/2 bicycle-rim sized branding irons, and a slew of “what were they thinking” putters from our friends in Scottsdale…we have a good-old-fashioned Ping Anser again.

Mizuno and Bettinardi are two names synonymous with quality. The former being one of the largest sporting goods companies in the world, the latter being one of the worlds foremost putter designers. When the two of them team up to put out a line of putters…you are in for something special. The Black Carbon series of putters is the second major release from the Mizuno/Bettinardi team. Read on to find out how they did now that the honeymoon is over.

Wilson Golf has had a good year, but a legendary career. Palmer, Nicklaus and Crenshaw all made Wilson famous, and this year Padraig Harrington threw his name into the mix by winning the British Open. The 8862 is a return to a classic design, but can it honor the legendary status that precedes it?

The Fussell XCITOUR mallet brings technology, craftsmanship, and a few optical illusions to the putting green. With High MOI designs becoming more and more popular, it takes more than a good marketing spin to get into a golf bag. Performance is where putts are made, and good design shines. Fussell has this in spades…or “Disks” as the case would be here.

The Putter Talk Hall of Fame will focus on designers and their creations, plus add historical background & a timelines to the success. Even some avid collectors are unfamiliar with the stories & the people behind many seminal designs. This year, we induct two timeless designs, from one visionary designer.

Scotty Cameron is know the world over for his interpretations of classic putter designs. The 009 is Scotty’s most widely sought-after Tour gamer. The soft lines, outstanding quality, and “Wow Factor” make this one heck of a putter to be seen using on the greens…if you can get past the $2,500+ you’ll need to spend to get one home.

Two guys named Chip and Lee set out this January to create an affordable “Tour Quality” putter. They weren’t ever thinking of putting one in a tour player’s bag, or reaching millions of people with their designs. The just wanted to make a quality putter that was affordable for anyone that wanted one.

When someone thinks of “007″ they think of a tuxedo, an Aston Martin, an Omega Seamaster, and a Walther PPK…not necessarily a putter by Byron Morgan. While I don’t think Ian Fleming had a particular putter in mind when he sat down to write the first James Bond book in 1952, I think Byron Morgan has created a putter worthy of the number “007″.

When you’ve seen a prototype putter go from concept to reality in a few short days, you know you are working with a serious putter maker. When you get to use that vision for the first time…it is nothing short of awesome. Come take a look at what Bob Bettinardi comes up with for a modern-day revival of an old classic.

There are plenty of good putter designers out there. One of the things that we’re trying to do with Putter Talk, is educate people about all of them. In Bruce Sizemore, we find a designer that pays attention to the details and puts the whole package together.

When I first saw Dave Billings’ “Machine” line, I thought they looked cool. When I dug a little deeper, I learned that there is a LOT more to them than just a neat looking line. When it comes down to it, Dave is one of the few guys that really understands what it takes to make it in the high-end putter market…and he’s just getting started.