Putting Around the Sunshine State

If you have played miniature golf before, you may recall that the putters offered by most courses are less than ideal for most players.  Typically they are plastic or soft metal and have been banged, scuffed and trashed by the previous golfers.  They are usually a trial and error type experience at best, and require more luck than skill when it comes to getting the ball to go where you want.

Please understand, this is usually fine for having fun; even preferable for the youngsters who use them most, as they might potentially hit them against the concrete walkways, the bricks edging the greens and most other surfaces that will ding up a putter face.

On the other hand, if you are serious about your game, then you might want to bring your own putter, if the course allows it.  Fortunately, most courses do.

Recently I took Joy to the local Sports Authority in Jensen Beach, FL, and we demoed a variety of putters on their putting area, from most of the more common makers – prices ranging from around $20 to $300.  I was convinced my wife would putt better and have more fun if she had her own putter – one that was the right size and feel for her.

First she tried an Odyssey Golf  White Hot 2-Ball putter, which I suggested to her after reading many praises from women golfers online.  She immediately improved, sinking a much higher percentage of putts from near and far.   She then tried several others until she figured out the length she liked and finally settled on a Wilson Harmonized Hope putter.  This is a Mallet head putter with a polymer insert on the face and even though I felt like it had no feedback to feel the putt, she loved it and it was only $39.  I had her continue to try others (really thinking it was not the best putter) but it was what she liked and the results were apparent.  So off to the cash register and home we went.  The next round of golf she immediately improved and even beat me (too bad she forgot to keep score, but she was just having too much fun) which she had never come close to doing before.

I then went on a quest to find a putter I liked also, and ended up with a Nike Method 001 putter that was new to the stores.  It was very similar to a Titleist Scotty Cameron I used to have… before it mysteriously disappeared after a party my children had, a number of years ago.  It is a traditional design and it provided me with the feedback I wanted, and was easy to line up and adjust my stroke for distance.  It was expensive at $249, but it was great.

Our next round at the local miniature golf course was much more fun and rewarding.  We went to Walt Disney World and played the most difficult course I know (the Fairways course at Fantasia Gardens), where in the past my score was the limit of 6 Strokes on most holes.  With my own putter, I actually succeeded in getting a number of 2-stroke birdies and eagles.  If you have ever played this course and are not PGA tour pro caliber, you know that is not too bad.  I still got a few 6s but Joy  was awesome with her new putter, too, and now challenges me every time we play.

I highly recommend you head over to your local golf equipment store and find the putter that you like.  There are far too many options out there to cover them all.  I plan to try more in the future so I can give you some idea of how different the various putters made today can be.  If you find a used sports equipment store like Play it Again Sports, you may find some bargains and save money, allowing you to get more than one and have different options like the Pros do.

By the way, Tiger Woods uses a Scotty Cameron Newport 2 with a Ping grip.  Check out that model on EBay – maybe you’ll find a bargain!

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