Milled putters

[wirehair]

I see a lot of folks chasing Scotty putters lately, but if what you're after is a high quality milled putter don't limit yourself to a Scotty. He's the market leader and the easiest to find, but other guys are making some pretty nice putters. These "boutique" makers aren't readily available, and you'll need to look for a while but offer an appealing price performance ratio. They'll have a good bit of nice hand work, that appeals to me.

Bettinardi - dodge the Hogan or Mizuno models and look for Bettinardi Studio clubs. The Studio models are milled from blocks of steel, the "Manufacturer" models are forged then skim milled. Lots of styles. Bettinardi did the milling for most of Scotty's older putters. Love the honeycomb face.

Palombi - IMHO the best of the bunch. Pretty much newport/anser styles but he's made some nice 8802/napa style putters. Among putter collectors, George is pretty much considered the best putter mechanic in the business.

TP Mills - Dodge the Spalding models - they're cast. Look for workshop or professional series. TP's son David is making them now, He seems to do best with studio design/circa styles since thats the style that TP developed.

Byron Morgan - Mills some pretty nice sticks. I've never actually owned one of his, but he's well respected as a quality maker.

Tom Slighter - He got a bad rep for stamping putters up to look like tour Scotty's a while back, but he'll build you exactly what you want.

These aren't the only guys, there's other makers, like Webb & C&L but their output is pretty limited & very hard to get.

Here's a couple on my watch list now to give you an idea what I'm talking about:
tp mills TIG weld putter from tour event - eBay (item 150274690796 end time Jul-30-08 11:20:35 PDT)
Milled by R.J. Bettinardi BB 1 M.S. Honeycomb Putter - eBay (item 270255544353 end time Jul-26-08 17:00:00 PDT)
Slighter Portland Putter Seattle Mud *BEAUTIFUL* - eBay (item 150275261603 end time Jul-29-08 19:49:35 PDT)

 

[chemboy2]

Great post, wirehair.

The buyer really needs to be honest with themselves; are they lusting for a Scotty because it is a milled putter or they're lusting for a Scotty because it's a Scotty. I'll be the first to admit that I bought my Studio Style because I wanted a Scotty. If I knew then what I know now, I'd be all over a Mills Softtail.

 

[ualtim]

Great post, wirehair.

The buyer really needs to be honest with themselves; are they lusting for a Scotty because it is a milled putter or they're lusting for a Scotty because it's a Scotty. I'll be the first to admit that I bought my Studio Style because I wanted a Scotty. If I knew then what I know now, I'd be all over a Mills Softtail.

I think most folks tend to go Scotty because of their availability and ability to test the product before you buy. While I am guilty of occaionally buying clubs without testing them first, before I bought my first Scotty I went to some of the local golf establishments and putted with the different models before I decided to pull the trigger. If I could go to the local store and try a Slighter Olympia, I might have owned one over a year ago.

 

[JEFF4i]

Honestly, I tried the VP Milled by Cleveland and loved it.

Just no reason for me to buy it.

 

[wirehair]

The buyer really needs to be honest with themselves; are they lusting for a Scotty because it is a milled putter or they're lusting for a Scotty because it's a Scotty.

That's absolutely a fact. I started buying Scotty's because they're collected & cool. After about 40 of them I grew wiser I began to appreciate the workmanship rather than the name. Very few people will recognize my Palombi, but I know what I've got & thats plenty for me.

I think most folks tend to go Scotty because of their availability and ability to test the product before you buy.

You've got to have faith in your guy, and know what you want. I'd putted with a whole bunch of different putters and knew what I wanted so I could set it up exactly how I wanted without the need to roll it beforehand. Just get it the way I want & it's all good.

I sold my Betts during the great Oldsmobile sell-off, want another one now. I'd really like to have a TP Mills made by old TP hisself...but thats not gonna happen.

There's a legend about TP. He made everyone pay, didn't give any away. That included guys like Cary Middlecoff, Arnold Palmer, Doug Sanders and a bunch of others. The only people he gave them to were Republican presidents, Eisenhower loved his, (Democrats couldn't even buy them - at any price )

 

[ualtim]

I tend to lose my faith when I spend more than $150 on a club. :laugh:

Now that I am pretty much set on my putter specs, I would feel comfortable enough to order one without testing it out. If fuel prices ever come back to normal and my job is no longer in jeopardy, I may end up ordering one.

 

[wirehair]

I tend to lose my faith when I spend more than $150 on a club. :laugh:

Horsehockey! I know for a fact that you've spent more than that.:emot-ange

Get yourself one of these, its a "playa's" stick - About $300 brand spankin' new...all in.

 

[mont86]

Sure change your mind after you sell your scotties...

 

[ualtim]

Horsehockey! I know for a fact that you've spent more than that.:emot-ange

Yes, I have spent more than $150 on a stick, but I have also hit a similar example before pulling the trigger. For some reason, $150 seems to be a threshold for me when it comes to purchasing a club without a test run.

All I was saying was that I would be skeptical on a club if I had not been able to hit an example when the price starts to rise. I did buy a Studio Stainless Newport Beach without hitting a beach, but I had used several Newport Styles as well as a SS Newport 2 before pulling the trigger.

Nice looking putter in the pic, but not to my specs. Center shafted / no offset for me these days.

 

[wirehair]

Sure change your mind after you sell your scotties...

Sorry, I've still got 8 nice Scotties still hanging on the wall, a couple of pre-Titleist classics (one a Tour) as well some original gun blues & a couple of oilcans. All the cheap OTR's (except the uber-ugly detour which doesn't count) are long gone - no studio styles, pro-plats, or stuff like that. I can still fix you up with a nice Scotty if you're interested.

 

[wirehair]

Nice looking putter in the pic, but not to my specs. Center shafted / no offset for me these days.

I think its ultra, but I'd prefer that the raised toe be cut down so the topline is flat. That'd make it vagi-pubic.

 

[twofast2s]

i love my C&L oil can putter..

 

[justagolfer]

I picked up a Byron 007 oil can this week. I posted some not too good pictures of it, and I'll do better soon.

This thing is the most beautiful putter I've ever seen. Used it today... performance is incredible.

I'm a very happy camper. This putter is a real nice piece of work

 

[warbirdlover]

with the modern precision casting methods there is no (flatness) advantage to a milled putter.

 

[Dusty90]

For what it is worth, I am using mizuno bettinardi c-01, and it is a very nice feeling putter. Although never gaming a scotty, or any other precision milled putter (other than the one that I made of course :laugh I have putted with some of them in stores, and find it to be just as good (not really a fair comparison though).

skim milled or not, its staying in the bag......



for now