Putter Talk

Byron Morgan 007 Putter Review

A few months ago, our Putter Community was buzzing about a forthcoming release by Byron Morgan…the “007″. When I initially saw the pics of the prototype, I thought it looked like a fairly simple design that was yet another variant on the timeless “Ping Anser II” design. After seeing some more pics, I saw that it was so much more.

This is one of the more exciting releases that I’ve seen since we launched PutterTalk.com in January. After getting my “Maker’s Proof” 007 last week, I immediately put it in the bag for the next day. I was playing Canterbury Country Club the next morning with a fellow PT member and knew that I’d have a chance to get a second opinion…good or bad about this putter.

Craftsmanship:
With all the CNC milled putters on the market, you have to do something pretty special to stand out. Byron does this by making sure that every millimeter of this putter is designed for a reason. You can pull the head of this putter head from the shaft, find the exact center with a micrometer, mark it, and that’s the point that the head will balance on a golf tee…perfectly. You don’t just program that kind of craftsmanship into a computer and hit the “make me a cool putter” button. It takes hours of design, the knowledge of a true artist, and several prototypes…that end up as scrap metal.

The other point of interest on Byron’s new putters is the “Twilight Zone” milling on the face. Most milling marks are either vertical, or horizontal. Byron’s new milling pattern takes a small circular bit, and circles the putter face creating thousands of little tiny circles. This creates a pattern that can only be called…well…Twilight Zone!

Rubbing a fingernail across it makes very little sound. This is primarily because the putter face is completely flat. If it weren’t for the light milling patter, you’d be looking at a completely flat surface. As you can see from the high-speed video, this gets the ball rolling very quickly.

Something else to mention is that Byron is a one-man shop. When you order a putter, he’s hand-finished it, stamped it, filled the paint, taped the grip, placed the shaft-band, and shrink-wrapped the while thing. Not many putter manufacturers at that level can say that.

Headcover:
The 007 is protected by the “2007 Club Byron” headcover. Byron uses the “gold-standard” AM&E Headcover. It protects the putter perfectly…no need to elaborate past that.

Grip:
A new “Best Grip” is emerging in the high-end putter market. The Grip Master “Tour Laced” started appearing on putters about a year ago. The high quality leather, hand laced around a quality under-listing has all the high-end putter collectors coveting the latest grip that Harry Sewell from Grip Master has dreamed up. Byron recognized the quality of their grips and uses them exclusively on his high-end putters.

This is a special “Club Byron” grip, and has the same logo that is stitched into the headcover, embossed in golf leaf. First-Calss all the way.

Material:
This particular putter was cut from a solid block of 11L17 Carbon Steel. There were 5 made from a solid block of Copper, but those were a one-time run and the lucky few that snatched them up are in for a real treat. We all know the benefits/pitfalls of carbon steel. Keep it oiled up, and you’ll be fine. Keep it in the headcover after a rainy day, and you found a perfect recipe for a rusty finish!

The production 007s will be available in carbon steel, and stainless steel. Carbon putters can finished in an array of finishes from Oil Cans to good-ole Black Oxide like mine.

Address:
The 007 at address is a no-nonsense putter. The lines are clean, and the head is free of distractions. I chose to have mine done without a line, or a sight dot, you are free to choose either for yours.

I’m told that Byron can also make the top-line a little thinner, but I felt that the standard thickness was very pleasing to look at. At address, you see the craftsmanship and materials blend into a fantastic

Feel:
Distance control was a bit of an issue for me on the first outing with this putter. Not because of the putter…because I’m not used to putting on greens that roll at about 13 like Canterbury was that day. I’m used to a 34.5″/340 head, so the extra weight was there, but not too much for me. Byron also tells me that he could easily take up to 15g off if I requested it that way.

“Skip to the end” Overall:
I’m VERY pleased to present our first “Perfect 10″ putter. Byron did an absolutely OUTSTANDING job on this design. It has all the stuff that matters in the high-end putter market. For the street price of $300, it is a serious no-brainer. There are putters that cost 10X as much that don’t deliver anything more than the 007. (In some cases, far less.)

This putter doesn’t just deliver confidence. The Byron Morgan 007 stares the target down, looks back up at you and concludes “Come on friend…you can make this putt with your eyes closed!” (English accent optional.)

Discuss Byron Morgan Putters in our Putter Community.

To purchase a Byron Morgan putter, email sales@turfsurfer.com or PM “Z-Man” or “drewspin” in the PutterTalk Community.

Download this clip: Byron_007.mov (Quicktime required)