Old & New

Rating: 7 points
Pros: First Production Putter, Latest Limited Headcover.
Cons: I only have one of each.

Two new acquisitions this week... a Fry's Pity Putter and the new U.S. Open limited headcover. As a purist collector, I do not specifically prefer older style putters, but I do respect them. This is the holy grail as far as OTR putters go, and it's the only one I recall seeing publicly for sale in the past three years (this particular one has traded hands a few times in the past couple months, but it will be staying with me indefinitely). The headcover was released on Tuesday afternoon along with several other Cameron accessories at the Studio Store, and commemorates the 2008 U.S. Open in sunny San Diego at Torrey Pines.

There is a lot of talk about this headcover. Firstly, there are four versions circulating at this time, that's right FOUR. The picture above is the most common, showing 12 smiling suns on a white background. The second version we learned of shortly after the release is a similarly stitched version on a black background, there are 100 of pieces of these randomly distributed to Studio Store customers. The third version also came to light shortly after the release, showing again the suns on a white background, but altered stitching including a Circle T in place inside one of the suns. The fourth and yet to be discovered version is a 1/10 limited piece, like the black cover, randomly distributed to buyers.

This headcover appears to be the biggest hit since the '07 Masters cover... white headcovers generally tend to be more popular, and this one has a great design to go along with that. Values on this cover are almost certain to rise... the black and Circle T versions will probably settle in the $500 and $2,000 respectively. The yet to be identified 1/10 cover could be the most available and sought after cover in recent memory, the value could certainly top that of the Circle T version. One can only imagine how many of us will be scouring eBay auctions to see the subtle difference and find the proverbial diamond in the rough.

As for the Fry's putter, for those who may be unfamiliar with the story, these were made in 1991 for Fry's Sports in San Francisco, CA. Since the total order was for only 700 pieces (extremely low for a production run), this is commonly referred to as Fry's Pity Putter. The piece above is numbered 464... and is one of only a dozen or so in the registry. Luckily when this putter was released, Japanese collectors familiar with Scott Cameron handmades were quick to buy them up, so many remain safe in collectors hands to this day. Unfortunately, for the same reason, many of these will remain unavailable to other collectors.

As Cameron collecting continues to grow, many new collectors gravitate towards new designs with little regard for these old gems. Although it's extremely easy to fork over a few thousand dollars to buy a new 009 or Cameron & Co... the real thrill for me is the hunt. I have been more than lucky to come across almost a half dozen rare pre-Titleist putters in the past six months... something I am unsure I will be able to repeat as more collectors realize the importance of these pieces.

Private Reserve 2

Rating: 7 points
Pros: All original
Cons: Baby cow gave his life

In 1992 Scotty Cameron released 500 putters to the Japanese market under the name Private Reserve. Each putter was initially released with it's own certificate of authenticity (hand signed by Scotty), a hardwood display box made from red oak and it's own "Private Reserve" Milled Putters headcover. Only 10 of the original 500 have been sent to the Studio for authentication.

There were four models in the Private Reserve release each consisting of 125 pieces. It is not uncommon among Cameron putter releases for there to be four different models, however, the putters were numbered 1-4, which has never been done since. Early in his career, Scotty did not realize the number 4 held a negative connotation in Asian culture, due to it's pronunciation which is very similar to the word "death" in both Japanese and Chinese. The Private Reserve putter pictured above is the model 2, which along with the number 4 are the two models with milled cavities.

Each Private Reserve putter originally had a Neumann calf leather grip. Recently all the rage has been in exotic leather grips (ostrich, emu, barramundi, and there are even rumors of stingray), but back in 1992, calf leather is just about as extravagant a grip material as you could find. The shape of the grip was also unique to the period. Common on Acushnet and 8802 putters, the "D" shape is more rounded than today's more common pistol grips. The leather on the grip is still tacky to this day, although most of the gold embossing is worn from mine.


An interesting insight into the development of the Private Reserves comes from a few pieces of history that still reside at the Studio: In the earliest days of limited mass production, Scotty did not have the ability to G-Code putters from scratch, so template putters were made by hand to scan and input into the CNC machines to produce the final product. The 4 original handmade Private Reserve putters are stashed safely away at the studio.

The shape of my Private Reserve 2 is nothing like any other Cameron I have seen before. I continue to find putters in the Pre-Titleist era that amaze me... this is absolutely one of them. The toe to heel shape is the most noticeable departure from other Camerons to my eye. Forming a complete crescent, the line is very easy on the eye and when combined with the milled cavity, it frames the ball extremely well at address.



The look and feel of a Private Reserve putter is something that I wish every collector could appreciate. I may be a long way from completing the set, but I'm pretty sure a number 4 is next on my list.

Studio Select Newport 2.6

Rating: 5 points
Pros: Potentially a new OTR model this year!
Cons: It isn't a Notchback.

We have seen straight shafted Tour versions of Studio Select putters with welded spuds ever since they hit the Tour late last year. This variation on that theme seems a lot more "production friendly" with the heel alignment dot and one piece (non-weld) design. The reason the design has gotten this far is probably because it has been requested so much on Tour.

With a standard 1/4 toe hang, this putter lends itself to the arc stroke that nearly every Touring Professional and many amateur golfers have adopted after realizing the straight back and through path is a myth. Since human physiology and a non-perpendicular lie angle (a perpendicular shaft would be illegal) force some arc into every putting stroke; this straight shafted putter will fit the bill for many golfers who like how a no-offset putter sets up.

This putter is a departure from center shafted Camerons of the past in that it (as above) will not be face balanced. The neck spud is closer to the heel of the putter as well than with CS putters. Those previous CS Studio Stainless putters were all prototypes, however, and this Studio Select version seems to have a lot of momentum towards becoming an OTR. That momentum comes not only from Tour player and collector support, but from a very logistically sound design that could easily be converted to a belly putter with heavier sole weights.

Although I have never been a true fan of straight shafted putters, this one has me excited. All Scotty needs to do now is make a Notchback version.

As a side note, there are already rumors of a Newport 2.7 model which would most likely be a heel shafted double bend version of the Newport 2.

Classic I

Rating: 6 Points
Pros: Won the '93 Masters and launched Scotty's career.
Cons: It hasn't launched my career, yet.

Wow. I finally picked up a Classic I this week after over 3 years of collecting. The market for these putters has remained fairly consistent over that period of time. With most newer collectors favoring 009's, it has left room for the purist collectors to obtain great pre-Titleist pieces at reasonable prices.

The first thing that jumps out at me is the lack of stamping/engraving. Call me crazy, but the blank cavity is a great look... as is the absence of an alignment aid. Classic I is engraved on two lines on the toe end of the sole, Cameron vertically on the neck, and Scotty Cameron in a distinctive pattern on the heel end of the face. The heel-face engraving is one of the most identifiable marks among pre-Titleist collectors, occasionally we see it reproduced via hand-stamping on modern Tour putters.

Classic I's have a shape closely related to Newports and 009's, but distinctive on it's own. Lining them up is akin to watching the body style change on the Ford Mustang through the years. The bumpers seem wider and lack the radius seen in today's Studio Select model. The neck has crisp lines and an angular plumber's neck, a few generations away from what you might see on 009's. The topline is rounded, and the cavity has dog ears... a great combination in my eyes while looking at the putter from the cavity side.

Putts roll off the face extremely soft and true, the sweet spot is fairly small, so mis-hits are more than evident. This is a player's putter. Bernhard Langer won the Masters 15 years ago, in no small part, due to the accuracy of this putter. The putter in my collection has the original Scotty Cameron pebble grain grip which is also very utilitarian, not soft, yet providing feedback straight from the putter head. As a package, this putter has everything a golfer needs to sink putts and improve their game.

I'm happy to add this putter to my collection in a month when Scotty is celebrating 15 years since his first Master's win, and his 8th Masters victory in that short span.

Studio Select Custom Shop Options

Rating: 7 points
Pros: Great new options.
Cons: You still have to pay.

When the custom shop opened on April 1st, 2005, there were far fewer options than there were even yesterday. This new batch of options opens up the door for us to customize new and exciting creations. Many of us collectors have been around to see new color options, stamps, grips and headcovers released... some of which in limited quantities (gold and purple headcovers). Never before, however, has there been a release of options directly suited to one line of putters.

First and foremost is the option to stamp any one of the four custom shop stamps inside the Studio Select cherry dots in the cavity. We have seen tour stamps inside cherry dots before, but until now, this has been unavailable on an OTR putter. The translucent epoxy/paint used to fill the dots after the stamp has been applied is quite stunning eye candy.

Next are the Studio Select Custom Shop headcovers. Wow. There have been varying opinions on the OTR headcover, but these new offerings (with dots in Sublime Lime, Turbo Blue and Red Racer) have to be the coolest custom shop headcovers ever released. My only complaint here is that there aren't 1/500 versions of these covers, which had been typical of new color releases.

Frequent CS customers know that stamping on the bumpers was possible as long as it was properly requested, however this was not a public option. The new option of stamping your first and last name (or nickname) on the bumpers (on certain models) is sure to spurn a plethora of new orders being sent to the custom shop. The quoted wait time for CS orders has held steady at 15 days, and I'm thinking they will be prepared for the inevitable spike in orders.

Also available are the new weight adjustments for Studio Select putters. A full range of 330g to 380g putter heads is now available to suit any swingweight (including belly putters) using stainless, copper and tungsten weights. Dialing-in the weight had previously meant aftermarket modification using lead tape or other, less swingweight friendly, options (e.g. lead powder or in-hosel weights). The Studio Select was designed from the ground up to be adaptable to different weight configurations, and having these available for a fraction of the cost of weight kits that are available for other clubmakers, makes this an appealing option for golfers desiring quirky swingweights.

These new options for the all new Studio Select putters make customization a dream come true. The Custom Shop pricing remains fair for the amount of work involved in these modifications. All in all I'm happy to give the new Custom Shop options a full 7 out of 7 rating.

2008 Masters Cover

Rating: 5 points
Pros: Yellow Fur!
Cons: Flowers are for girls.

Scotty stuck with tradition this week in releasing a limited headcover during a major week. Azaleas are the perfect representation for a Masters specific headcover, and I almost wonder why they weren't done before. This is easily, in my opinion, the second best Masters cover Scotty has ever released.

There are rumors circulating about a one-off white version of this headcover, to replace at random one lucky customer's headcover order. The potential of this is quite exciting, leading many of us to wonder just what we might do if we were the lucky "winner" of said cover. Last year's 1/100 bulldog version of the Masters cover was quite popular, bringing a smile to many collectors who received one. I can only imagine the thrill of opening that box and finding a white cover. Questions on whether to sell or keep such a cover quickly were asked... with many collectors suggesting they would flip it for a few (okay, several thousand) quick dollars. As a recipient of a very special cover in the past, I think I would want to keep this one in my collection, but there are bigger headcover collectors out there than me who would appreciate it more than I would.

This cover has the potential of becoming very popular as a gift to SWMBO's and daughters... much like the Camico of 2006. I think there's just as much potential for this cover to make it as a gamer in the bags of any collector due specifically to the yellow fur. Red and green fur headcovers have become very popular as gamers in the past two years since they've shown up... I can't imagine things would change drastically for the worse. Most people will appreciate the connection between the azaleas, Scotty Cameron putters, and the Masters.

Again, this is a great release in the tradition of many great major headcovers, I hope Scotty follows up with an equally thoughtful, nuanced and popular design for the US Open at Torrey Pines in June.

SCM Mizuno Prototype

Rating: 3 points (for obvious reasons)
Pros: Thin flange, full toe hang.
Cons: Pre-Mizuno or Pre-Titleist?

I've been lucky enough to have three SCM Mizuno Prototypes in my collection at some point. These are great collection pieces as well as seriously accurate putters. The latter holds true due to the sweet spot being easier to find than a Classic III or Bullseye style putter, and the full toe hang makes for a smooth gate style stroke. Not many of these show up for acquisition... only two or three last year on eBay or classifieds, and anyone with one in their collection should count themselves lucky.

The name "Mizuno Prototype" may suggest to some these were made before Scotty worked with Mizuno. However these were probably made in '94 from leftover Mizuno Pro-Am heads (contrary to the COA verbiage stating they were made from leftover M-100 heads). Less than 100 are believed to exist, though with many of them in Japan, that number may never be substantiated. Conflict with the COA wording aside, these are great Pre-Titleist pieces.

The SCM is engraved (not hand stamped), as the head was CNC milled... although one can't help but get a handmade "feel" when they see or putt with one. Scott Hoch was believed to use one of these on Tour in the early 90's, and I believe a good percentage of the less than 100 made were sent to players on Tour. This was at a time when Scotty was still making handmades regularly for Tour players and the shape of this putter is strongly influenced by those designs.

The other component to these putters is the "Cartier Script" on the face, which Scotty was experimenting with at the time... obviously this did not catch on, but for that reason, this putter is a great glimpse into Scotty's fairly early design days.