Equipment
The 4 most important Scotty Cameron putters of all time
I know, I know, that is a heavy title, which is subject to debate and opinion. However, I’m going to do my best to convince you these four putters make up the grand slam of Scottys and are indeed the most important Cameron putters ever built.
I will agree that the argument can be made that any item on this list could be ranked No. 1 for various reasons. Would we have heard about No. 1 without No. 4 or No. 3? Why is No. 1 ahead of No. 2? Be sure to let me know what you think in the comments.
Let’s get to the list.
No. 4: Ray Cook Blue Goose (Designed by Scotty Cameron)
OK, I’m starting off by bending my own rules here. While not a singular putter, this is one of the most important works of Scotty’s career. Ray Cook was an extremely popular manufacturer for a good stretch from the 1960s through 1980s. Scotty Cameron came along in the late 1980s and helped to create one of their most well-known designs, the Blue Goose.
Per “The Art of Putters” written by Bill Vogeney and David Levine, “The Blue Goose was the first mass-produced, 100% milled gun-blued putter.” While this putter was a success, there are probably many Cameron aficionados in 2020 who are unfamiliar with Scotty’s Pre-Titleist roots. We all start somewhere, and Cameron’s early days were spent honing his craft with Ray Cook before moving on to create designs with his own name on them in the early 1990s. While not his best-selling design, the Blue Goose must be on this list for helping create the behemoth that we know today.
No. 3: Tiger Woods’ TeI3 Newport (Used to win the 1997 Masters)
OK, GolfWRX audience, it is time for a math problem: What does 32 white elastomer dots plus one sight dot on the topline plus one “up and comer” that came into the 1997 Masters with a decent amateur record equal? How about one of the greatest weeks in the history of golf? My generation’s greatest player completed his explosion into the golf world wielding a Scotty Cameron Teryllium “Sole Stamp” Newport. Did your heart just skip a beat when you read Sole Stamp? Perhaps you are ready to head over to our Classifieds section to track down a T22 (a great re-release of this classic).
Most folks probably had not seen anything like this beautiful, softened Newport with a funky copper-looking insert in the face. What is that putter he is using, and WHAT ARE THOSE DOTS? I imagine onlookers at Amen Corner might have had those thoughts swirling in their minds while the players were dealing with the swirling winds that could knock their ball into Rae’s creek with relative ease. I would equate this putter to the newspaper strips that my father would use when building a fire in my childhood home: This putter caught fire quickly and helped Cameron really heat up with collectors.
No. 2: Bernhard Langer’s Classic I (Used to win the 1993 Masters)
To continue the beautifully written, Shakespeare-like fire analogy, Bernhard Langer’s (Mizuno) Classic I is the kindling to the wildfire that is Scotty Cameron. These transitional putters in the Classic series are some of the most underrated and undervalued putters in the Cameron market, in my opinion. Scotty’s take on the classic Ping Anser first came in the form of the Classic I. Scotty was working for Mizuno at the time of his development of the Classic I and Classic II, thus Bernhard’s putter was stamped Mizuno for the Darrell Survey results. However, this stamping would later be X’d out after Cameron left Mizuno. Believe it or not, the putter has made it out into the collector world and has been verified and COA’d by the Cameron Authentication department.
It is important to remember our roots as people so that we can see where we came from, and how we have since grown. A similar thing can be said for collectors. It is fun to go back and look at the history of the hobby and of the game. While not a hickory-shafted blade, Bernhard Langer’s Classic One was vital to the success of Scotty. An argument could certainly be made that Cameron’s product was so good that had Bernhard not won the 1993 Masters, someone else would have eventually taken home a big trophy using one of Scotty’s creations. However, we do not know that to be the case and Bernhard did in fact help put Scotty on the map with his victory. From the putter collector world – thank you, Bernhard!
No. 1: Tiger Woods’ GSS Newport 2 (Used to win 14 majors)
This is another putter that most people following this article would assume to make the list. There was however some debate in my own mind about the order of No. 1 and No. 2 on this list. Is the Neil Armstrong of Scotty’s major-winning putters more important than the most popular wand he has ever created? It makes for a good argument that, without Bernhard helping Scotty explode on the Tour scene, Tiger may have never had a Cameron in the bag. Would the GOAT have stayed with the Ping? Would another Anser-style head have caught his eye? The what-ifs are fun to think about but impossible to verify.
What is not up for debate is the importance of Tiger Woods’ run with his vertical stamp GSS Newport 2 on the collecting world. 2000 saw the introduction of the three-dot Pro Platinum and Mil-Spec lines. The small “bomb” on these putters were similar to the large “cherry dot” on Tigers and from there, a new wave of collectors burst onto the scene. Getting a “vertical stamp” became a thing. The red dot was a status symbol.
The beautifully-shaped Bullseye and Studio lines would follow in 2001. While these were not the biggest selling putters of Scotty’s lineup, they brought back nostalgia of the “good ol’ days.” This new wave of enthusiasts was now able to appreciate the shaping of a beautiful blade that is not found in the squarer Newport or Newport 2.
2002 might be the year that collectors really began to see the Tiger effect in the retail market. This was the first year that we saw the “My Girl” and was also the debut of the first stainless steel putter that Cameron sold in mass, the “Studio Stainless.” Who remembers the colorful sole of the Studio Stainless? Did you have a “green dot down”? Were you able to get a “beach”? These became important questions, and folks had now been seeing Circle Ts around in different places. Being that one of the best stretches in golf history had taken place two years prior, and knowing that the author of that seemingly immortal feat was using a Scotty Cameron, it became “required” that to be at the top of the putter community, you needed to have one for yourself.
Were there other companies and makers creating great products? Yes, there definitely were. People have long-collected items in the golf world. From hickories to steel and Scottsdale Ansers to Tour Newports, this hobby is not new. However, the beauty of Cameron’s art and the genius of his marketing, aligned with the timing of Eldrick helped escalate our world into what we see today. Scotty helped to show new things that could be done outside of the box and this has led to another wave of collectors and makers that are after fancy dots, creative finishes, custom stamping, and limited headcovers.
Some golfers still feel that paying $300 for a putter is outrageous—and perhaps when comparing the characteristics of function with another brand—it is. However, some collectors will not bat an eye at spending $7,000 on a GSS. Even this $7,000 price tag is “low” when compared to $17,000 Damascus steel models.
Scotty Cameron deserves his place in history as one of the most influential people the game of golf has ever seen. As collectors, we owe him a debt of gratitude for his contribution to our chase, and I for one am very appreciative of his work and the journey on which it has led me.
(Featured image, image 1, image 2, image 3 from Scotty Cameron Authentication Registry)
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)
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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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Camilo Villegas WITB accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. Villegas was undecided on a 3-wood when we shot his bag. ...
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The duke of dudes
May 19, 2020 at 5:47 pm
Many moons ago, a story surfaced that Tiger Woods putter is actually a cast and surfaced milled copy of Mark O’Meara’s PING anser 2.
That’s the reason his backups which are milled, don’t feel the same.
Freddie C.
May 19, 2020 at 12:34 am
What a way to make a living being a putter copycat, the man has never really had to think about designing anything. Put a Ping answer in the mold and engrave Scotty on the sole and bam ???? it’s the greatest creation to mankind…..
Gery Katona
May 18, 2020 at 11:42 pm
Back in maybe 2005 I was at Fairway Golf in San Diego. They were (are?) a Scotty Tour putter distributor. I got to know the people there and it helped that I worked for a Japanese company and we both knew some other Japanese guys in common. They had one of Tiger’s back-up’s of his 14 major winner for sale and asked me if I’d to roll a few balls! I can’t tell you how nervous I was. I think I hit 4 balls and I recall how soft (quiet, firm, solid) it felt. It was just a moment in time, but something I’ll never forget. They were asking $35K.
Benny
May 19, 2020 at 4:05 pm
Gary awesome story. Thanks for sharing!
XEROX
May 18, 2020 at 8:07 pm
And which of these is he responsible for designing ENTIRELY by him?
Benny
May 18, 2020 at 7:35 pm
Sorry boys but one more, watch this (which has been erased from Camerons website and Golf Channel) and at 5mins .04 seconds Cameron describes “I added red ink to the holes so they wouldn’t rust”….
Stainless Steel does NOT Rust. So why would Crazy expensive German Stainless Steel rust?????
JB.? Anyone?? Its all marketing fellas…
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NI9w-vvDR9o
Benny
May 18, 2020 at 7:25 pm
Here is the article Espn did and Cameron states he built him a GSS years later. After the initial NP2.
https://www.espn.com/golf/story/_/id/18544732/golf-tiger-woods-scotty-cameron-world-most-famous-putter
Benny
May 18, 2020 at 7:16 pm
Every other GSS Cameron says GSS on it except Tigers.
You will not find any article in the 2000’s say Tigers putter is GSS.
https://www.golfdigest.com/story/winnersbag20050615
https://www.golfchannel.com/article/golf-channel-digital/whats-bag-tiger-woods-1
JB- What makes you so right it is GSS?
JB
May 19, 2020 at 10:36 am
@Benny – I never said it was GSS. I only said that it was definitely not carbon and definitely not pro platinum. I agree that the whole GSS business is a marketing scheme made to sell putters for 8-10 grand each on the gallery site.
Benny
May 19, 2020 at 2:24 pm
Understood JB. I agree with your statement as well as everyone elses. Cameron won the lottery. But I am sure there were many ups amd downs as well. But just like LAMB and PXG built their market Scotty has his. If it wasn’t for Tiger beleiving in him and his putter he wouldn’t be much today. This is why GSS is such a fraud term. But he marketed it perfectly and with having the ability to call Tigers putter GSS he now can sell those putters for $10k and be sold out in minutes.
Marketing and making wants over needs is where it is at. When you do it right and find it you can make millions!
Benny
May 18, 2020 at 7:03 pm
JB- this is just me adding up the peices mate. Like why does Cameron specifically say he needed to add red printer ink to the 2 holes so they wouldn’t rust?
Also why was Tigers 2000 putter the only GSS Cameron mentioned for 5 plus years?
You can also go back to many articles about Tigers putter never being detailed as GSS.
BillyG
May 18, 2020 at 6:05 pm
I have a SC American Classic III Bullseye that I would part with because it just doesn’t putt or feel that great. However, I can’t get my money back, so it sits in a corner with a really nice head cover. My original Bullseye putts better and feels better. That is probably just me since I grew up playing Bullseye. How about an article that ranks the SC head covers?
Delbert
May 18, 2020 at 3:48 pm
I have a SC American Classic III Bullseye and don’t need it. My old Bullseye original putts better. One other effect of SC is very expensive hardcovers.
Ty Webb
May 18, 2020 at 1:58 pm
“Scotty Cameron deserves his place in history as one of the most influential people the game of golf has ever seen.”
This comment is a joke! Scotty is like the Wizard of Oz. The guy literally has stolen putter designs from everyone that came before him. Bob Bettinardi milled all of his putters in the beginning days at Titleist because Scotty had 0 clue how to run a milling machine. After Bettinardi stopped Titleist for a time was casting putters and millig over them to look milled. Dan Ashcroft was the one coming up with designs like the Futura not Scotty. The guy is a fraud.
Robert Hartnett
Sep 15, 2020 at 11:27 pm
A good point. I am reading ‘Harvey Penick’ by Kevin Roberts, where it says that the Blue Goose putter was designed by Jack Burke Sr. ‘…with Tracy Parks, an inventor and friend.’ That would be some time before 1924.
Steve C
May 18, 2020 at 12:32 pm
I enjoy playing golf, and I enjoy reading about golf related subjects. However, to some extent, putters are just putters. Either someone can putt well, or they can’t. A $50 putter vs. a $500 putter is NOT going to change that fact. Heck, While playing my best golf many years ago, 2 handicap, I was using a putter that I may (or may not) have liberated from a putt-putt golf course during the 1970s
George
May 18, 2020 at 1:18 pm
I disagree!! A putters weight , feel and balance make a huge difference. At least for me!! Hit em straight!!!
Imafitter
May 18, 2020 at 4:35 pm
LOL! When I was 12 I went to Putt-Putt every Saturday morning. Used to win a lot and bought the putter I always used for $5. Still have it!
jgpl001
May 18, 2020 at 12:31 pm
It always amuses me when guys balk at paying $300 for a putter and don’t bat an eye lid when shelling out $500 for a driver and maybe an extra $250+ for an exotic shaft on top
Clay
May 18, 2020 at 11:36 am
Scotty make wonderful putters, beautiful stuff. But I am sure T.P. Mills was making milled black oxide carbon steel putters long before the Blue Goose came along. Spaulding produced those designs in mass as well.
Pingfan
May 18, 2020 at 11:21 am
On a per-item basis, Scotty Cameron must have made WAY more money than Karsten Solheim ever did from Ping Anser and Anser 2-shaped putters.
Imafitter
May 18, 2020 at 12:31 pm
Ping sold the Anser series for $50-$70 ea back in the day. A current Cameron costs under $50 to produce. Retail mark-up is 10-12%, and the rest is marketing. A pro can make a putt with any putter. But they get them free and most get paid to have a particular brand in their bag.
Francis
May 18, 2020 at 11:00 am
What is Scotty’s best selling putter line? Gotta be the pro platinums, right?
Imafitter
May 18, 2020 at 10:26 am
So who actually milled Cameron in the early days? Wasn’t it Bettinardi, who also made Mizuno putters? I’m also sick and tired of putter designers taking credit for designs by Ping. Too bad their patents expired or these “designers” would be flipping burgers.
Will
May 18, 2020 at 12:57 pm
Bob Bettinardi made the Classic 1 and Tigers first Masters winner.
Acemandrake
May 18, 2020 at 1:11 pm
“The next new Scotty Cameron design will come out when the next Ping patent runs out.”
Anonymous
Benny
May 18, 2020 at 10:10 am
Great article but when did Cameron actually release GSS putters? Wasn’t it 4-5 years after Tigers putter was received?
Why would Cameron have needed to “add red printer ink to the 1gram holes so they wouldn’t rust”?
Sure Tigers putter is extremly valuable but its not GSS. Its Pro Platinum which is a finished carbon. Carbon rusts, Stainless Steel does not unless its heavily mixed with carbon.
Cameron has tried getting Tiger to replace this putter dozens of times. Why? Because GSS is his biggest seller and whats makes them the largest profit.
Luckily Tiger has gone along with Cameron these last 10+ years sayings its GSS. Maybe Tiger was paid or maybe its just out of kindness. Either way there is a lot more to this story and its about marketing.
JB
May 18, 2020 at 10:30 am
@Benny Tiger’s putter is definitely not carbon and definitely not pro platinum. Not sure where you got your info, but it’s incorrect.
Stanley
May 18, 2020 at 9:28 am
I have the classic I putter. It’s in decent shape. It doesn’t have any sight lines or dots on it. It’s a great putter. Still feels as good as anything.