Equipment
Northern milling: SGC Putters is Canada’s own putter boutique
It seems like everywhere you look nowadays there is a new putter boutique popping up across the USA. With all of these new options who needs to go down to their local big box store and grab the latest mass-produced OEM offering.
We all want something personal and something no one else has.
For many years customers in the USA have been able to access custom boutique putters such as Mann Krafted, Piretti, Tyson Lamb, Artisan, Scratch, Xenon, APC, and the list goes on from there. These brands are all phenomenal in their own rights but come at a high cost to us North of the border once you add exchange and duties.
I am sure that many a Canadian has wondered what if we could get something milled in our own country that we could take pride in like our neighbours to the South. We did have this option at one time through Daito Putters till they went out of business.
There is a new option, and I am fairly certain that if you are not from Truro, Nova Scotia, or the surrounding area you have most likely never heard of SGC Putters.
Staurt Cox, the founder and inspiration behind SGC Putters, never intended to get into putter manufacturing business. In speaking with Stuart, he actually got his start in the putter business was through refinishing. During his University days, he would buy refinish and resell all types of putters. It was this process that peaked his interest for milled putters. Like any true club lover, his time was slowly taken over by researching the stories and processes of many different milled putter makers. Stuart remembers that “Piretti was just getting started when I was in university and I actually contacted them (and other makers about info). I bought a few Early Piretti putters just out of curiosity.”
After doing his research and dedicating himself to school studies as well as the putter industry Stuart decided to download some cheap CAD software and teach himself how to use this technology. He made a few designs at first and just let them sit for a few years.
Stuart decided to take the plunge after university was done. In late 2012, he had a few heads milled. Following this, he went all in in 2013. Stuart remembers, “I started SGC Putters….one head style…limited options…. eventually as I sold some I added another head, etc. I taught myself everything as I went from design, stamping, shaping, finishing, making my own headcovers, website, etc.”
The growth of his business was slow but he did still have the refinishing aspect to fall back on as well. As the years went by he decided to invest more in his hobby and started having both grips and headcovers made professionally to go along with his growing number of head styles.
I asked Stuart about his design inspirations and he told me “I like clean, classic designs. I’m not out to reinvent the wheel but eventually, I likely will grow to offer more complex head styles.” I also inquired about why milled putters when there are so many other types of clubs. “What intrigued me about milled putters were the fine lines and sharp edges so my earlier putters had sharp lines and edges… eventually I’ve come to appreciate softer finishes on edges, but will leave them if a customer wants them less softened.“
Stuart does still consider this a business a “hobby” but at the same time realizes how important customer input and interaction is to his success. He can at times feel limited in comparison to other putter makers as he doesn’t have the time, money and resources available to them. He went on to tell me that “I only invest what I have available into heads, covers, grips, shafts, etc. I have small batches of head milled so if I have a logo on the head, I have to work with that on a customers design… the same with my face mills, I just offer the pattern on the face and don’t get into offering different patterns. This allows me to keep my costs down and my prices lower than some other makers.”
Stuart won’t let being a small maker get in his way when it comes to a special request from a customer. He is very forthcoming with his customers and says “I will push myself on some special requests from time to time – it’s all a learning process. I have always been good with my hands and making things so sometimes taking a risk or chance on a design becomes less scary once you have the experience and understanding to know that you can fix the problem if you screw up. Customers are always great and very understanding when I explain what I can and can’t do currently.”
When asked about the future Stuart says he “hopes to continue to slowly grow the brand. I have realized that if I want to grow things I couldn’t do it making every putter individually. So I’ve started to come out with a line of putters more focused on retail, but still customizable.”
Although not his day job, it seems as though Stuart is creating a niche for himself within our large industry. In addition to his putter crafting, he is an Operations Manager as a PGA of Canada Club professional in Nova Scotia. More importantly, he is a husband with an exceedingly patient wife and a father of two small children.
It is always an exciting thing to a gear junkie to be able to find something that is playable, exceptional quality, and that none of your buddies have. Stuart provides this through SGC Putters. I know that my all-blacked out model is ready to hit the course this spring!
See Stuart’s site and creations on the SGC Putter website
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% |
View this post on Instagram
‘Why would anybody want to change that swing?’ – Brandel Chamblee says PGA Tour star was wrong to change his swing
‘The stupidest freaking thing I’ve ever heard’ – Billy Horschel slams Open idea suggested by Padraig Harrington
WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Golfer proudly posts photo of ball mark on iron, receives immediate roasting
WITB Time Machine: Matthew Wolff’s winning WITB, 2019 3M Open
Oakmont Country Club bans Wyndham Clark over locker incident; Reveals specific conditions to earn reinstatement
Adam Scott puts Callaway blades in the bag at Wyndham Championship
Report: LIV star fires caddie and coach in shock shake up
Rickie Fowler makes equipment change to ‘something that’s a little easier on the body’
The championship formula: How 3 key stats separate winners from the field
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...
Andrew Warrington
May 2, 2019 at 8:26 am
Stuart is awesome to work with, and the putters are fantastic. My SGC has been my gamer since 2016.
CJB
May 2, 2019 at 3:04 am
Good Luck Stuart, I hope it works out for you.
H
May 2, 2019 at 12:56 am
They look ‘orrible
Ben
May 1, 2019 at 9:46 pm
Great Ping copies
Tommy Roberts
May 1, 2019 at 5:20 pm
What happened to John Byron Putters? As everything except for modern mallets, copy/deviations, just very well made. Have a bunch of their prototypes, but never hear much.
Adam Dickinson
May 1, 2019 at 4:22 pm
Massive shout out to Stuart for his involvement in this article. A great person to deal with and a super high quality product. Will go that extra mile. #makebirdiesnotpar
Jeff Burns
May 1, 2019 at 3:18 pm
Great write-up. I recently purchased a putter from SGC and I can’t say enough good things about Stuart and the process we went through. It was completely painless and in the end he crafted EXACTLY what I had envisioned. It’s truly a playable work of art… I couldn’t ask for anything more!