Equipment
8 Revealing Photos from the 2016 Bettinardi Summer Social
For a gear head who loves Tour, one-off and custom equipment, it’s difficult to think of a better event than Bettinardi’s yearly Summer Social, now in its 8th year. The event invites putter collectors and aficionados to browse and buy Bettinardi prototypes before they become available to the world.
This year, 35-40 guests traveled to Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, Illinois, to take part in the affair, where the event-goers played golf, picked the brain of Bob Bettinardi, toured the facility, Mr. Rich’s car collection, and of course, tested and purchased putters.
More than 100 putters were on display, along with staff bags, stand bags, ball marker divot tool sets, custom knives, head covers, belt buckles and more. There were also two golf simulators, an indoor putting green (rolling at 13 on the stimp meter) and a bunker/chipping green guests could practice on.
Check out some of the awesome photos from the event below. And if you’re interested in purchasing custom putters from Bettinardi, make sure to check out tourstockputters.com
Groovy, baby
While Sam Bettinardi assured us that his father, Bob Bettinardi, is “not a hippy,” this putter definitely has vibes of “love and peace” from the ’60s and ’70s. This BB Zero putter has a tie-dye PVD finish, and is milled from the company’s Double-Aged Stainless Steel (DASS).
These necks will make your head spin
This BB Zero putter ($3500) has a insert made of 0.999 pure silver, and flame “slinky” neck.
This left-handed BB Zero has a welded, flame-industrial neck, Bettinardi’s familiar skull-and-crossbones stamping and a black-oxide finish.
This “JAM” putter model, similar to the Queen B6, has a high toe and a slinky neck. It also has an aluminum, bronze and gold insert.
The wrapped hosels are what Bettinardi calls “slinky necks,” and while they don’t serve much of a purpose other than looking cool, they certainly do their jobs.
Don’t drink the Kool-Aid
A putter that Sam Bettinardi calls “maybe his favorite,” this BB Zero has a flame twisty neck and intricate face engravings of the Kool-Aid man.
The Kool-Aid man has become a popular design among Bettinardi putter collectors, engraved on putter faces, soles and collector headcovers. GolfWRXers, can you figure out the significance of the Kool-Aid man to Bettinardi putters and its collectors?
A slice of elegance
New to the collection this year, Bettinardi designed knives made from aluminum and stainless steel. What’s special about this knife is that it has glow-in-the-dark paint applied to the blade, so you can see where it is… even in the dark. They sell for $350, so it’s a good thing you won’t lose them in the night.
Kids in a candy store
I guess the comparison is unnecessary, as “putter collectors at the Bettinardi Summer Social” would have sufficed.
Ashes to ashes
Are these the coolest cigar ashtrays ever? Milled from aluminum with custom Bettinardi logos in the center, they’re difficult to argue against.
What time is it?
Time to play some golf. Guests at the event had the honor of playing a round at Rich Harvest Farm, a top-100 ranked course in America.
Builder’s bonus
Thanks to Bettinardi, bonus photos above give us a peek behind-the-scenes during the building and customization process. Incredible stuff from a leader in high-end, custom putters.
Cameron Young’s WITB from his win at the 2025 Wyndham Championship. Cameron is a Titleist staff player but his bag is definitely filled with some unique clubs. Here are the clubs he used to secure his first PGA Tour win!
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX
3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 80 TX
Hybrid: Titleist GT2 (21 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus HB Black VeloCore+ 10 X
Irons: Titleist T200 (4), Titleist T100 (5), Titleist 631.CY Prototype (6-9)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X7 (4-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F, 52-12F, 56-14F @57), WedgeWorks (60-K* @62)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X7
Putter: Scotty Cameron Phantom 9.5 Tour Prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x Prototype
- Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Titleist GT3 (10 degrees, C2 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Project X Denali Blue 60 TX
3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 7 X
7-wood: Titleist GT2 (21 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 8 X
Irons: Titleist T150 (4, 5), Titleist T100 (6-9)
Shafts: True Temper AMT Tour White X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F @47, 52-12F, 56-08M @57, 60-04T @62)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: Scotty Cameron Studio Style Fastback 1.5 Tour Prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x Yellow
We’re proud to once again partner with 2nd Swing Golf to bring you GolfWRX Members Choice 2025! 2nd Swing has more than 150,000 new and pre-swung golf clubs available in six store locations and online. Check them out here.
What is the best driver in 2025? At GolfWRX, we take great pride in our online community and the cumulative knowledge and experience of our members. When it comes to the best driver of 2025, we want to know what our forum faithful think.
Since our founding in 2005, the bedrock of GolfWRX.com has been the community of passionate and knowledgeable golfers in our forums, and we put endless trust in the opinions of our GolfWRX members — the most knowledgeable community of golfers on the internet. No other group of golfers in the world tests golf clubs as frequently or as extensively, nor is armed with such in-depth information about the latest technology.
Below are the results of GolfWRX member voting for the 2025 best driver, along with the vote percentage for each club.
Best driver of 2025: The top 5
5. Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond: 6.02%
Callaway’s pitch: “For golfers looking for a fast, forgiving, yet workable driver, the Elyte Triple Diamond features a tour-inspired shape and is the preferred model by most Callaway tour players.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond here.
4. Ping G440 Max: 6.86%
Ping’s pitch: “The most forgiving G440 model, MAX has a hotter face to generate speed and distance, and a lighter overall system weight with a longer shaft (46″) for faster clubhead speed, higher launch and longer carries. The Free Hosel and Carbonfly Wrap crown save weight to create our lowest CG ever and increase forgiveness while contributing to a more muted, pleasing sound.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Ping G440 Max here.
3. Ping G440 LST: 9.53%
Ping’s pitch: “LST is an especially good fit for faster swings, offering less spin and more control with a penetrating trajectory. A hotter face, lighter overall system weight and longer shaft (46″) deliver more speed and distance while maintaining tight dispersion.”
@phizzy30: “Not a fan of Ping drivers in general, but 440 LST takes the cake. It’s super forgiving across the face for a low spin head, looks and sounds good and the ability to make it play neutral or slightly fade biased through the hosel settings is very appealing.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Ping G440 LST here.
2. Titleist GT3: 16.55%
Titleist’s pitch: “The GT3 Driver offers Titleist’s boldest combination of power and personalization through adjustable performance. Dial in the CG Track to your frequent contact location to make your biggest drives even bigger while taking total control over flight and shaping.”
@mrmikeac: “I’ve been Anti-Titleist for years and years and years (outside of Vokey, of course). With that being said, HOLY BEGEEZUS the GT3 driver is an absolute NUCLEAR MONSTER! This thing blew my G430 10K Max out of the water in every single category. Forgiveness is the biggest thing that stands out of me, the 3 model has always been one of the less forgiving models in the past but this GT3 can take bad shot after bad shot and still end up in the fairway, I think a ton of that has to do with the adjustability, it’s actually effective. Feel and sound is perfect, that solid crack is so addicting to hear and when you hit it out the screws this thing can absolutely bomb it. Titleist, I’m sorry for doubting you. You have converted me.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Titleist GT3 here.
1. Titleist GT2: 22.91%
Titleist’s pitch: “Delivering impressive distance from any impact point, the Titleist GT2 Driver extracts maximum performance through a forgiving design. Get the stability and added confidence of a high-MOI driver without sacrificing speed.”
@DTorres: “The Titleist GT2 has proven to be the best driver of the year. Packaged in a classic profile, GT2 perfectly balances performance and forgiveness while consistently being a high performer across all categories.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Titleist GT2 here.
Other drivers receiving >2% of the vote
| Driver | Vote percentage (%) |
|---|---|
| Cobra DS Adapt Max K | 4.85% |
| Ping G430 Max 10K | 3.85% |
| Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond | 3.68% |
| TaylorMade Qi35 | 3.51% |
| Callaway Elyte | 3.18% |
| Cobra DS Adapt X | 2.34% |
| Cobra DS Adapt LS | 2.17% |
| TaylorMade Qi35 LS | 2.17% |
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Peter Malnati WITB 2025 (August)
Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here. Driver: Titleist...
Cameron Young’s winning WITB: 2025 Wyndham Championship
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting) Buy here. Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX 3-wood: Titleist...
Camilo Villegas WITB 2025 (July)
Camilo Villegas WITB accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. Villegas was undecided on a 3-wood when we shot his bag. ...
WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Brandt Snedeker fired a final-round 65 at the 2018 Wyndham Championship to outlast Webb Simpson and C.T. Pan. His 5-under...
notcalc
Jun 10, 2016 at 12:43 pm
You couldn’t pay me enough to buy a Bettinardi. How he can get away with selling something that blatantly misquotes our first President is beyond me. If he’s truly a patriot, Bob should grow a spine and pull his 2nd Amendment cover from market.
No respect.
digitalbroccoli
Jun 10, 2016 at 4:25 pm
You ever look around the world and think, “maybe it’s me, and not everyone else that’s a little crazy?”.
Yeah, I didn’t think so.
notcalc
Jun 12, 2016 at 11:42 pm
I don’t, because neither I nor ‘the world’ is crazy.
Now, if you are telling me to get off my high horse and that a head cover isn’t a big deal – fine. We disagree. I value integrity and try to purchase from companies that do so as well.
Bettinardi clearly isn’t a company with integrity.
fyrglfr
Jun 9, 2016 at 11:52 pm
my buddy Jason was lucky enough to go back and participate in that.
Erik
Jun 9, 2016 at 6:08 pm
Are there any more photos from the party? Will they all be listed on tourstockputters.com or are there any other sites overseas or domestic to purchase from? I want that welded back BB2!!! SIK!
DaveyD
Jun 9, 2016 at 9:11 am
Nice! The putter as an art form.