Putter Talk

Scotty Cameron 009 Putter Review

August 17, 2007 on 2:12 pm | In Reviews, Putters

A few years back when I started The Cameron Collector, the only putters I owned were a rusty Newport Two TeI3 and an American Classic III that I had paid WAY too much for…at least I thought I did. Little did I know that less than a year later, I’d have a few dozen Scotty Cameron putters worth more than $2,500…EACH. I didn’t exactly set out to buy a bunch of expensive putters. I was able to parlay a couple of good trades, and bought a putter or two that people sold off too cheap. The end result was a pretty nice collection. But most of them weren’t for golf. They sat on my putter rack like artwork. Longing for the day they could make it on to a green somewhere. Then came my first 009.

The 009 is the preferred gamer for a good majority of the Cameron collectors out there. It’s a no-nonsense Anser inspired design that really performs. You can get an 009 with minimal stamping, so you don’t feel bad about playing it. Those that have an 009 play them like a badge of honor. With an entry-point north of $2,000…it’s certainly not a putter for the masses. The standard Cameron putters have a loyal following, but we’re talking about an elite “Tour Putter” here…it’s an entirely different ball game at this level.

Craftsmanship:
Cameron became famous for “Fine Milled Putters” back in 1993 when Bernhard Langer won The Masters with his “Classic I” putter. Fast-forward nearly 15 years and “100% Milled Putters” is still the Cameron mantra. There are two types of putters that carry the Scotty Cameron name. The “Off The Rack” putters that you can buy in most Golf Stores, and the “Tour” putters that pass through the Scotty Cameron putter studio in Carlsbad California. While the quality of the OTR putters is outstanding, Tour putters, like their brothers the OTR putters are all milled on a CNC machine but have received some hand-work by a member of Scotty’s staff. The heads come to the Studio blank, and they are then shaped, stamped, and sent off for finishing. The “Circle T” (CT) is the most common stamp on the 009. It was originally used to designate tour putters, but in recent years, has become more of an icon in its own right.

The Scotty Cameron “Circle T” stamp

The putters are then put on a rack in the studio, where some go off to the tour van to eventually make their way into the bags of players like Davis Love III and Geoff Ogilvy. The putters that don’t go off to the tour, go to one of a select few retailers that carry the Scotty Cameron Tour Putters. These “Distributors” each get an allotment of putters on a regular basis to sell to average Joes like you and me. This is one of the few chances that the average golfer has a chance to play the exact same club that a PGA pro would play. This putter and DL-III’s may have been just feet from each other at one point of their life…maybe in the same block of steel.

The craftsmanship of the putter is simply outstanding…the allure is something completely different.

Headcover:
It’s NO secret that part of the fun of a new Cameron putter is the headcover that it comes with. Tour putters usually come with the coveted “Circle-T - For Tour Use Only” edition. These don’t offer any more/less protection than a standard AM&E headcover…they are just more collectable.

Material:
This particular 009 is Carbon Steel. I THINK I remember reading somewhere that SC Tour putters ate 11L17 Carbon steel. (I’ll update that if I hear differently.) The Carbon Steel 009s are really the entry level material. 009s in Scotty’s GSS^TM are called “Cameron & Co.” and carry a price tag north of $6,000. Solid Copper? You are looking for a BBC, and better have $8,000 available on the AmEx. If you thought explaining a $2,500 putter would be tough, try explaining $6,000 Again…it’s a whole different game at this level.

Address:
The 009 is a refined version of a design we’re all used to looking at. Scotty called its first incarnation the “Classic I”, the next version was called a “Newport”, and now we have the 009. While the Classic I and Newport were both production putters, the 009 is, and (from many sources) will always be FTUO. (For Tour Use Only.)

Whether you know it or not, you are already quite familiar with the address of this putter. The 009 is yet another homage to Karstein Solheim’s Anser design. In fact, the name “009″ is a play off of the “029 Anser” its self. Late Ansers were made in Pheonix Arizona…85029. Since Karsten put his address on every club (in case you wanted to order one) the Scottsdale and Pheonix Ansers had slight differences, so they became known as the “029″ or “Scottsdale” for the early ones. 92009 is a zip code in Carlsbad where Scotty lives, so it became the known as the 009.

“Skip to the end” Overall:
I can tell the same time with a $19 Iron Man or a $50,000 Panerai. Just like watches, there are different putters for different people. If you think an expensive putter will make you a better putter, it probably will. Does the quality of this putter back up the price tag? Largely, but not completely. You are paying for allure, and the “cool” factor of a Tour Cameron putter.

The 009 is one heck of a putter. It isn’t cheap, but neither are Rolexes. There are some that think $2,500 for a putter is a lot. There are others that think $2,500 is insane. Will it sink putts for you? Not without lessons. Will it give you confidence when you are standing over a 16′ snake? Maybe. Will the rest of your group tell stories about you…and your $2,500 putter? You can bet on that.

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Stats:
Company: Titleist / Scotty Cameron
URL: http://www.scottycameron.com
MSRP: $2,500.00+
Length: 34-1/2″
Loft: 4-deg
Lie: 71-deg
Head Weight: 350g
Swing Weight: D-7
Material: Carbon Steel
Grip: Cameron “Cord/No-Cord”
Head Cover: AM&E
Manufacturing Type: 100% CNC Milled
Made In: USA