$100+ for a putter? What gives?

[Trav]

If you really want to save, don't buy a putter, use your driver. That way you get to use a $300 putter, you don't have to decide between whether to spend on your driver or your putter, AND you open space for another club in your bag.

[frogger]

If you really want to save, don't buy a putter, use your driver. That way you get to use a $300 putter, you don't have to decide between whether to spend on your driver or your putter, AND you open space for another club in your bag.

The mental image of someone putting with a driver made me chuckle. I've never seen that, but I had a friend who played 12 holes putting with a 7 iron with a closed face because he tossed his putter into the lake after 5 putting.

[powermatt99]

Great responses everyone. I guess I'll run down to the Galaxy or Sports Authority and put like crazy. I wish there were a Golf Smith close. I was really impressed with the knowledge of their associates when I picked up my wedges.

[Robiola the Monster]

Hmmmm... my $419 AUD was well spent on a scotty... got it fitted, lie & length... my fave feel.. just better than a black series but defianatley rolls better than the black series... as you can see on tour tiger still uses one and so do alot of people not sponsered by titleist

[iacas]

I am not ridiculing your purchasing decisions.

You kind of are just by the words you're using.

What I'm asking is, does your $300 Scotty Cameron perform 30 times better than my Top Flite POS Special from Walmart?

You know, oftentimes in manufacturing the cost or price doesn't scale with the quality. If a putter can have a rating of 100 - perfection - the first $20 might get you to 50. Then the next $20 might get you to 65. Then the next $20 might get you to 75. Then the next $20 might get you to 80. Then 83. 85. 87. 88.

Plus, you're confusing cost or price with worth. To many, a $300 Cameron is a better value than a $10 POS from WalMart. And there's something to be said for: a) you use your putter a lot more than your driver b) you keep your putter longer than your driver c) your putter has to be nice to look at, so a certain amount of "artistic" look comes into it d) and so on. A putter's worth what you want to pay for it. If the price is lower than that, it's a value and you should buy it. If it's more than that, don't buy it.

[twinke masta]

Remember if you buy say a used Cameron for 250$, even if you put 3-4 years of use on it, you can still sell it for 220$ or even 250$. If you buy a 50$ putter, first of all, after 3-4 of years of use on it, it won't sell for more than 10$...that is IF anyone wants to buy it.

[Smarf]

I think it's a mixture of several things:

- Confidence. You subconsciously know that you're playing with a better putter and a good portion of golf is in the mental game.

- Quality. Alot of the higher end putters are better made or have features that jack the price up like exchangable weights for customizability or that one with the computer in it that tracks your swing stats.

- Resale value. You'll get a lot less depreciation on a Scotty Cameron than you will the Walmart putter. Considering how fickle some people are about there clubs and change them often, this can be a big bonus when choosing.

[Leftygolfer]

The most important club in your bag. I have a very nice putter that cost me 60 dollars on ebay. It feels great, looks good, and I am very pleased. This game is between your ears and a nice putter that was built perfect will make you think you will make more so you do.

If you think 300 is alot look at what Tiger's putter goes for on ebay. There was a left handed version selling for $9000.

[bogeyhitter25]

your on the green about 40% of the time. thats why.

[twinke masta]

The most important club in your bag. I have a very nice putter that cost me 60 dollars on ebay. It feels great, looks good, and I am very pleased. This game is between your ears and a nice putter that was built perfect will make you think you will make more so you do.

You have a similar putter to mine, and I would put Mizuno/Bettinardis in the 200+ category even though we never payed close to that.

[GaijinGolfer]

There is a huge difference in feel and performance from an el-cheapo putter at Wal-Mart to a quality putter like a Ping or Odyssey.
IMO, spending $100 on a putter is a much better investment than spending $300-$500 on a new driver or $1,000 on a set of high-end irons because the green is where being precise is the most important. On the green is where this game is won and lost by a matter of millimeters.

[sp33d]

I got mine for free, but I doubt I'd ever pay that much for a putter. A putter is a putter to me as long as it sets up the way I like and it has good feel. I will probably play my putter for the next 10 years.

[NativeTxn]

I was just at Golfsmith and was playing with the Cleveland Classic putters. The feel felt great - some good feedback but still a soft feel to it. I've been playing around with a lot of putters lately and the Cleveland Classics are at the top of my list right now, as I just like the feel of them better than the Odysseys or PINGs.

Maybe I'm not tuned in enough to the subleties of the more expensive putters, but as many people have said, whatever feels good to you, right?

And they are only about $70 new.

[Smith285]

I was just at Golfsmith and was playing with the Cleveland Classic putters. The feel felt great - some good feedback but still a soft feel to it. I've been playing around with a lot of putters lately and the Cleveland Classics are at the top of my list right now, as I just like the feel of them better than the Odysseys or PINGs.

You're lucky, I love the classic #2, but unfortunately cleveland does not cater to the lefties with this model, so I think I'm going to have to go with the odyssey white hot #9, which is of course more expensive and not quite as high quality in my mind...

In all honesty, I'm just not good enough to feel the difference between a $300 and $100 putter, but I can tell a difference between a $100 and a $10 putter. I currently have an acuity mallet that came with my starters set (I'm slowly replacing everything as my swing is getting better) and I can tell you it has no feel and I absolutely suck at lagging putts with it. Of course it could just be me, but I blame the putter and once I get the odyssey number 9 I'll have much more confidence, as other's have said

[bioman]

Scotty Camerons aren't $300 if you know where to look.

[gmanuel25]

Unfortunately, I think the only way to find the putter that is right for you (regardless of price) is go to a Dick's Sporting Goods or Golf Galaxy or similar and spend a few hours and try them all.

I don't know if I agree with this, putting on turf just isn't the same as actually rolling the ball on the green! I know a friend who has an uncle that has worked for a big box co. and swears that some of these stores have 'putting greens' that have a six inch diameter area around the hole that will ever so slightly funnel putts into the hole. Therefore you think this putter is magic and shell out your $150 - $300. He could be full of it, but i'm sure that can sell a few more putters to people.

[HytrewQasdfg]

...a driver seems more complicated than a putter, therefore the higher price. Plus, its larger and requires a graphite shaft, making it more expensive.

I see the putter as being the more complicated club.

A wider variation of head shapes. A wider variation of head materials. A wider variation of face materials and finishes. A wider variation of shafts (shape, length, weight). A wider variation of head/shaft connection points. A wider variation of balance points (face, toe, or in between). A wider variation of grip types. The putting stroke is the most unique stroke in golf. Every golfer's is a little different (and often very differnt, even on tour.) Consequently, there are countless putter styles. One of the reasons putters are so expensive is that with so many styles/versions they are essentially low-volume, custom items. It isn't unusual for even big-name, commercial putters to be hand made (hand milled and assembled) often in the good 'ol USA. The typical driver is made in a large scale production factory somewhere in China.

[powermatt99]

Okay. Thanks for the responses. I am starting to understand the logic in dropping a few hundred on a putter. I pulled a muscle in my rib cage so this might be the perfect time to start addressing my green play. The last time out, my putting really failed me. It was mostly an inability to make puts from inside 6'. I used to be automatic.