Equipment
Want to trick out your putter? Here’s what you need to know
In 2019, one of the coolest parts of the golf world is the plethora of different ways you can accentuate your personality with cool golf swag. One of the most dynamic ways to do this is through a custom finished putter. I have spent the last six months (and about $1,000!) to make sure you get the best outcome for your money.
Intrigued? Good, here’s what you need to know…
Putter refinishing 101
- Stamping is done by hand and therefore never perfectly symmetrical
- Keep in mind there are certain things that cannot be fixed
- Have high expectations: with the right putter, these companies can transform your putter back to 9.99/10.
- Although each and every website has clear pictures, in my opinion the pictures are not perfect, particularly the black oxide/whisky/fuel finishes. It’s a little lighter than I expected and wears significantly more than black
- Sightlines can be a great addition to a putter, but remember, they cannot be removed!
The process
Over 25 years in golf has left me with a healthy collection of Scotty Cameron putters. When I was given an ultimatum to reduce my collection, I decided to take a unique approach: I would have several the old putters refinished. Armed with seven putters in approximately the same condition and the internet, I found seven different companies who offer a refinishing service. Each company cost between $125 and $129. I completed each of their questionnaires and sent them off, anxiously awaiting the results.
The results
One of the most important takeaways from this experiment is that NOT all refinishers are equal. In fact, the results were very binary: three of the companies did outstanding work, while four of the companies return a product which (in my opinion) was completely unacceptable.
Instead of “outing” the terrible work, I have decided to highlight the three companies which produced outstanding work: LabWorx (Waco, TX), Putter Lounge (Denver, Co) and NorCal Putters (Auburn, CA). Each of these companies returned work that was “nearly” new; removed dings, clean paint lines and held very closely to their estimate times.
Here is a Newport done by LabWorx (Waco) in their special “Armor” (more about this below). The finish is clean. All nicks and dents have been removed. It is basically new and looks amazing:
LabWorx “Armor”
An example of LabWorx Armor on a Ping Zing 2
LabWorx in Waco, TX deserves special note based on their R&D development of what they call “Armor”: a specially developed coating which does not impact feel but is extremely durable. The putter that I have, done in this coating has no glare and after almost eight months of play, shows no effects.
Not Just for Scotties
While I had only Scotty Camerons refinished, it is important that you understand that many different putters can be finished. According to Terri at Putter Lounge, “we have a lot of request for a number of different styles of putters, beyond Scotty Camerons, including a lot of Taylor Made Spiders.”
A total transformation that is completely custom for the very reasonable price of $129!
Getting your putter done
If you are looking to get your putter refinished, the first step is to have a clear idea of EXACTLY what you want. Next, I would recommend reaching out to a couple of companies (again, I highly recommend these three based on their work) and ask about wait times. Keep in mind that they can range from a couple of weeks to several months, with wait times increasing in the summer. After selecting the company, you want to go to their website and fill out the questionnaire about your putter; telling them exactly what you want. Send the putter, along with the form, and get ready to impress your friends!
Want to learn more?
LabWorx
NorCal Putters
Putter Lounge
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...
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Robert
Sep 8, 2019 at 2:56 pm
Why would you not send a “Scotty” back to Scotty Cameron first? Is there a big price difference for the same request?
Fifteenclubs
Sep 8, 2019 at 11:08 pm
Cost for a Custom Shop refinish is about triple what the other companies charge and can take up to three months. I’ve sent putters back to Scotty as well as a couple of these guys and I’ll say if you send them a putter in decent shape it’ll come back looking like new. Same for Scotty but at a much higher price and longer lead time.
Robert
Sep 9, 2019 at 2:33 pm
Thanks for the reply.
Paul
Sep 7, 2019 at 10:01 pm
In my experience, most players that want to “trick out their putter” can barely break 90…
Ed
Sep 7, 2019 at 6:01 pm
Yet GolfWrx doesn’t realize many refinishers use one source – and call it their own. Just saying.
DB
Sep 8, 2019 at 12:57 pm
I have never heard this. You should provide more details.
2putttom
Sep 7, 2019 at 3:54 pm
wonderful
Vic Dirkes
Sep 7, 2019 at 3:06 pm
Putter Lounge bungled my Cameron. The head was not properly epoxied on and they did not follow my directions I carefully filled out. Was supposed to be murdered out and they left the insert the original color. The head was an easy fix but you spend $150 getting it done and it’s wrong. I will never use them again.
I know donkeys
Sep 7, 2019 at 2:06 pm
Matt Kuchar is a big donkey.
Erik Filipiak
Sep 8, 2019 at 9:21 am
You just offended ALL donkeys