Re-Gripping My Putter at Dick's

As much as I love my red Cameron cord grip on my Studio Select, the things wear out quickly. I've scrubbed mine and washed it and done all I can, but it's slick and a bit firmer than I'd like, so I decided to go to Dick's to get a replacement.

I knew the selection would be poor, but they had exactly the grip I wanted as a second-best option: a red Golf Pride Tour Tradition . Pretty standard pistol grip and virtually the same as the ones Scotty uses anyway. Just not the corded ones like I like...

So I have the guy go install the grip. As he's finishing up, I see the butt end is wrong: he's installing a red Tour Classic . I point this out to him and he takes it off. Then he checks the stock and says "we don't have any red Tour Traditions (TT) - we only have black. All the red ones are Tour Classics (TC).

So then he says "So what do you want to do? Now your putter doesn't have a grip."

Gee, thanks. Perhaps you should have checked that you were installing the right grip before you took mine off buddy.

So he tells me that their samples are the opposite colors to what they have in stock - something he discovered after I pointed out his error and he checked his stock - and then asks me if I'd like a black one.

I say "I don't want a black grip, but I can't use the putter like that, so I guess, sure, go ahead." Frankly, I'd have rather kept my old grip than use a black one, but that wasn't an option - it was sliced through and sitting in the trash can.

So I figure at least the guy won't charge me for the installation. Wrong: we get to the register and it's $5.99 for the grip and $2.99 for the installation. Yes, I should have known better than to go into Dick's to have a grip installed on my putter. I honestly thought they couldn't possibly screw that up... Well, $9 lesson learned.

So that's that.

I have a tournament next Thursday, and I'm hoping to get some red Cameron cord grips by then. They're virtually impossible to find from a retailer - I don't even think you can find 'em - but if I can't find them today I'll call Titleist and get 'em that way. And then I'll have my very capable friend install the grip for me.

I tend to agree, but like I said, I just figured "how could they screw up a putter grip installation?"

I used to. And for the occasional one here or there I will still. But my guy does 'em for $2 apiece, so for all the effort it saves me, that's well worth it.

The sad thing is I doubt the guy really learned his lesson. I didn't even say a word about it, but the more I think about it the more it kind of bugs me. Which isn't to say I even care enough to send an email - I don't care even that much - but gee whiz, dude, check the darn grip to make sure it's the same as the sample one before you put it on. Blarg!

They didn't. I think they had about six in stock: the two I mentioned and then four oversized or outright fat grips. Pffft.

Who do you think makes the grips that come on his putters, stock?

Yeah, their PGA pro and the head of their golf department.

Not hard:

It is. See below.

Because for $3 it's worth it. If it takes me 10 minutes to do it, that's only $18/hour. I can earn more than that doing actual work, plus I won't have to deal with the mess and cleanup - setting up a tray, finding the tape, etc.

I've already switched to the backup putter. It's identical, still has the red cord grip, and when my replacement red Cameron cord grips arrive next Monday, I'll have my friend Bert install one on my gamer (it lacks a small nick on the face towards the toe that the backup has - the backup has been my Z-Factor putter for a year or two now). He won't screw it up.