Putter Talk

Byron Morgan Handmade Review

When I think of a ‘Hand Made’ putter, I think of a solid block of metal that is sculpted and honed for weeks into a putting instrument. This is EXACTLY what you get when Byron Morgan is making your putter.

Byron makes some very nice ‘production’ putters that we’ll get to in later reviews, but I wanted to focus on a truly Hand Made putter this time. I think it’s an art that not too many people care to learn anymore. Crafting a putter from a solid block of steel isn’t something that they teach in school. You have to WANT to learn how to do it. That’s just a small part of what makes Byron, and his putters, so special.

This particular putter was made for my friend John. He ordered a “Dale Head” putter that was 33.5″, 360g, lie 70, loft 4, full offset, 1/2 toe hang, in black oxide finish. A tall order, but when you are having a Hand-Made done, you get into such specifics. After all, this is YOUR putter. When asked about the process, John writes:

I asked Byron to make me a Dalehead Beach. I really like the sound/feel combination of carbon with the sound slot behind the face. The face milling was something else we discussed. I think Byron calls that a “butterfly” pattern. The welded neck is also interesting. Notice that the neck appears to be welded to the back of the topline, not on top of it. This created the exact amount of offset I asked for. Finally, I really like putters with a flat topline — I think that comes from Cameron’s 97 NPB, a personal favorite. The mill chatter on the topline is very cool, IMO.

Craftsmanship:
John would forward me the pictures every few weeks. Byron started by sending a picture of a block of steel with “J. Scharon” stamped in it. I guess that’s the block that looked like it had his putter hiding inside somewhere.

The following few months brought John pictures of the progress of his putter. Byron would offer up suggestions, and call to discuss things with John from time to time. This is the kind of personal touch that makes a Hand Made putter so special. The end result isn’t something that anyone reading this can appreciate until they go through the process themselves. To have a putter taylor-made for you, and not just stamped up with your choice of initials and paint-fill, is really something special.

Headcover:
Byron’s putters come with a custom AM&E Cover that features his ‘Welshman’ logo. This is an important part of Byron’s heritage, and anyone that’s willing to put that on their cover, is daring you to find something wrong with the craftsmanship. The last time I checked,you don’t argue with a Welshman!

Grip:
A fine-leather stitch-back grip finishes this putter off nicely. I’m not sure that you could expect much less than this when you are talking about a putter like this.

Material:
This putter was carved out of L. 11 C. Carbon steel. It’s a very soft metal that is commonly used in putters because of its superior feel and distance control. More often than not, you’ll see it nickel plated afterwards. I feel that this adds a sharpness to the feel, but L11C is soft enough that it doesn’t matter too much. This putter was polished and Black-Oxide coated so it has a luster to it that shows off the craftsmanship involved in the putter.

Address:
This particular putter is a 360g head, so it’s a bit larger than your average flat-stick. At address, I can’t look down without thinking “This putter was made for John.” I can sink putts with it all day long, but it has a very particular look to it that tells me it’s not mine,that is a VERY good thing.

Feel:
Wielding 360g of carbon steel is enough to make any ball cringe. (Normal “Off The Rack” putters are 320-330g.) Roll a few with this putter, and you can tell that you are using something special. The distance control is dead-on. Tapping in a 13″ putt is effortless, and when faced with a 35-foot snake, you know that you’ll be able to get it within 2-feet if you read it right. (Remember: NO putter is a substitute for lessons and a good eye.) I felt that this was a bit TOO heavy, but it wasn’t made for me,so I can’t complain too much.

“Skip to the end” Overall:
Before you spend $1,500+ on a putter that you’ve only seen pictures of, give Byron a call and see if he can make something special for you. You won’t have it the next day, but the first time you sink a 10-footer with a putter that was made SPECIFICALLY for you,you’ll know that you are in for some great putting for years to come.

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