If you're reading this, somehow you found us. Maybe you're a friend, maybe a putter enthusiast, maybe a random googler that was interested in a custom putter? Either way, you're here and that's good.
We'll be "blogging" more over the next few weeks to share more information about who we are and what we do, so stay tuned. Just saying blogging gives me a mental picture of a hipster sitting in an apartment, overlooking a city and sipping on a coffee. In actuality, I'm in my basement, it's raining buckets outside in an otherwise extremely hot, humid and wet summer. Door is locked. I can hear the kids yelling and bombing around upstairs, the've even came down and banged on the door multiple times to try to be let in. I just need 20 minutes of quiet time to put some thoughts down for our future customers. (Update: about an hour and a half :-))
OK, so where did we come from and what are we doing here. I (Pete), have been obsessed with golf gear for years. Head covers, bags, clubs, putters, tools... all of it. I remember the first time I dropped $3200 on an old school tour putter, wondering what have I done, I can't keep this putter, why did I spend thousands of dollars on a single golf club when my putting stinks and am a 20 handicap. Those thoughts were short lived. Not long after my first big purchase I found another "cooler" tour stick, so I sold my first one and picked up the next... this cycle continued for years. I didn't buy these putters to collect, but to enjoy their uniqueness and actually game them. Didn't matter if it was $300 or $5,000, they were used on the course.
After gaming these putters for a little while, I had the itch to tinker. Just like a previous obsession of mine -- modifying every car I have ever owned... I now needed to do that to my putter. Having never pulled a head or installed a grip in my life, this was a new learning experience. In no time however, I was yanking heads like a pro, pulling and installing grips, cutting down shafts and testing out different swing weights. This also became a slight obsession. Over time, I actually became a better putter, learned what felt good and what didn't. I noticed how the weight of a putter head, the weight and feel of a shaft and even grip style and weight could be combined to make what I thought was a perfect balance. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I built some really cool putters. However, everytime I thought I had the perfect putter, that little voice in the back of my head kept telling me that I shouldn't be putting with something that could cost as much as a used car.
I really wanted to build my own, perfect putter. At this point I felt like I had the knowledge, the style...the passion. Believe me I say I explored many options, was this something I could do? Nah.... I couldn't.
So what happened next? I decided to go down the "custom putter" route. Had some really talented guys build putters based on my designs and specs. They were cool, but they just couldn't build exactly what I wanted, something was always off... the shape, the feel, the details those putters rarely made it into the bag, but they looked pretty nice. I have a lot of respect for the guys that truly design, mill and finish their own putters -- it's a lot of work and takes a lot of talent.
At this point I frustrated and still unsatisfied, I went back to a tour putter that I got a decent deal on and decided I'd just game it, enjoy it and stop this obsession.
Fast forward to a few months later when I was randomly talking with a coworker about golf, my love for putters and how it would be really cool to make my own one day. As luck would have it, his father owned an aerospace machine shop one state over.
Skipping through all the following conversations, learning and upskilling, design details, excitement, let downs and wait times -- 5 or so months later, we had completed our first two prototypes based on what I believe is the most perfect head shape, the Anser style head. My dream had become a reality. Words cannot express my gratitude towards Nick's father and the time he spent helping us get to this point. Unfortunately I wasn't there when the putter heads were finally were ready to be milled. I was at the beach having a great Father's Day weekend when Nick had let me know via text they were done that and I was going to be happy. The delivery the following day was too cool for words, but this was the box presented to me... the results were inside.
Nick went on to explain some of the issues they faced and how they were going to correct them. Issues or not, these were absolutely beautiful and I was blown away. We had done it.
After that, many shafts were ordered, many grips were ordered, many stamps were ordered, much paint was ordered, many other things were ordered. We built so many versions of the same putter, trying to dial it in to perfection. (I'll post more about the specs in a future blog post for those wondering.) What I can tell you with 100% confidence is that this putter feels as good, if not better than any tour putter I've had the pleasure of owning. We've let a ton of good golfers and complete amateurs try these prototypes out, the feedback has been extremely positive, so positive in fact I almost wonder if they're trying to be nice. Results don't lie though, watching these guys sink putt after putt tells me these putters work.
Once we had a build that I was happy with, I decided to try my luck with stamping (after much practice (and failures) on stainless steel scrap pieces), the results were good for a first try.
So here we are. We have a half-assed website, an Instagram account, two prototype putters, boxes filled with shafts and grips and enough idea's to write blog posts for the next year.
What's next you ask? A few things. First, we have to order some additional vices, end mills, 304 stainless and other equipment that will allow us to make these a bit easier. Second, we're making a few changes to the design and milling process, subtle changes but ones that we think that folks with a sharp eye will appreciate. Next, we have to get in line to use the machine shop, our hobby can't sacrifice the jobs of much more important customers. We are scheduled to have our first batch milled and ready to be customized by mid-September 2023. This batch will be small, we have to take our time and ensure that there will truly be interest before going all out.
Ok. Enough of this story telling... how do I get one!??
For those that want to get in at the inception, support our business and get their hands on a stunning putter for an incredible price, email us or send us a DM on Instagram to get in line. You don't need a deposit, but putting one down (refundable) will guarantee you get a putter from the first batch. Your line in the queue could be bumped by other customers putting down deposits. We're selling the first batch for as close to cost as we can in hopes to get the word out and receive real world reviews. We'll provide pricing details and options when you reach out to us.
What does the company name mean? What are your future plans? We have so much more to say but we'll leave those Q&A's for future blog posts. Bookmark this site, follow us on Instagram and enjoy our journey to make the best custom, tour quality putter that you can actually afford and will never want to leave your bag!
Thanks for reading, thanks for being here, it means a lot.
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