Inspired by The Masters tournament? Golfers like Tiger Woods use these American-made putters — and you can, too.
There is an old saying among golfers, “you drive for show and putt for dough.”
Nowhere is this adage more prophetic than at Augusta National Golf Club, the site of this week’s 86th Masters tournament, the first of the sports four prestigious major championships.
With undulating greens that can often be as fast as a fresh sheet of ice, putting prowess will be at a premium this weekend as the field of 91 players chase the coveted green jacket.
There certainly is no substitute for talent, whether you are a PGA Tour pro or a recreational weekend warrior. But equipment also plays a big part in golfing success, and no club in a golfer’s bag is as important as his putter.
We at the Alliance for American Manufacturing prefer to support Made in America products whenever possible, and it just so happens that some of the world’s most talented professionals are finding their best putting touch with American-made blades.
So, whether you are one of America’s 10,000 golf professionals or a once-a-week player with a 20 handicap, we have compiled a short list of the best of American-made putters.
Bettinardi Golf
Manufacturer, designer and entrepreneur Robert J. Bettinardi founded his namesake company in 1998 by introducing his “one-piece technology” putters, which are entirely milled from start to finish at the company manufacturing facility in Tinley Park, Illinois. State-of-the-art machining methods take a solid block of metal and create a variety of delicately balanced putters that have made their way onto the PGA Tour.
Bettinardi putters are used today by former Masters Champion Fred Couples, who has won five times on the Champions Tour using his Bettinardi FCB (Fred Couples Blade). Couples is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame and at the age of 62 he continues to be a Masters fixture. You may have noticed him this week during practice rounds with his friend Tiger Woods.
Other PGA Tour pros putting with a Bettinardi include 11-time winner Matt Kuchar, Sam Horsfield, Jason Kokrak and Matthew Fitzpatrick.
Bettinardi is an entirely family-owned company.
Scotty Cameron Putters
Every Scotty Cameron putter manufactured has been designed, milled and built in the United States for more than 25 years at the company’s custom shop in Encinitas, Calif. Each putter is milled from a solid block of 303 stainless steel.
Titleist, which makes most of its golfing equipment in the United States, also carries a line of Scotty Cameron putters, if going the custom-made route is a bit lofty for your golf game. During the 2020-21 professional golf touring season, Titleist Scotty Cameron putters led the season with 14 PGA Tour wins.
Woods currently uses a Scotty Cameron Newport 2 GSS putter, which has been in his bag for nearly all of his biggest wins. Like most golfers, Woods has occasionally changed out his putters, but his blade-style putter has been his putter of choice for all but one of his 15 major tournament wins. An old backup he had made by Scotty Cameron in 2001 reportedly sold for $44,000 at auction.
Odyssey
This company has been manufacturing its putters in America for more than 50 years and are one of the few American golf companies that still manufacture their products domestically. Odyssey was acquired by Callaway Golf in 1997, but these finely tuned mallet-style putters remain a favorite of both professional and weekend golfers.
PGA Tour pros using Odyssey putters accounted for nine tournament wins during the 2020—21 season. Odyssey was the No. 1 putter at the recent PGA Valspar Championship, with 58 putters in play. Sam Burns won his third PGA event at the Valspar in March using his O-Works Seven Odyssey.
Odyssey putters are available at golf stores and pro shops throughout the U.S. as well as through the company website.
PXG
PXG putters are made at the company’s headquarters in Scottsdale, Ariz. Billionaire GoDaddy founder Bob Parsons created the company and has pumped a small fortune into the business, ensuring that U.S. golfers can buy equipment that equals the best on the market and is engineered to perfection.
PXG offers several lines of distinctive style putters and the brand’s ambassadors are none other than nine-time major winner and three-time Masters champion Gary Player and country music star Darius Rucker.
Meridian
Meridian’s classic stainless-steel putters are milled in Germantown, Wis., having been created by top industry engineers and evaluated by tournament players. What makes the Meridian putter so attractive is the price point.
Meridian offers four different putter styles that retail from $160 to $220. That is less than half the price of the previously mentioned custom-made putters
Other Brands
There are many smaller golf companies throughout the U.S. that make their putters domestically, and depending on what part of the country you live in, you will be able to find them at your local golf store, pro shop or place an order through the company website.
Among the smaller local brands are L.A.B. Golf in Eugene, Ore., Sassy Malassy Golf Clubs in Philadelphia, and Prairie Golf Mills in Omaha, Neb.
So, if Tiger Woods and the Masters Tournament inspire you this weekend and you are considering adding a new putter to your golf game, we encourage you to consider these fine American-made tools of what can be a most frustrating sport.
We can’t guarantee that you will never see another three-putt green, but you will at least have the satisfaction of knowing you purchased the best-quality putter manufactured by those who manufacture best – your fellow Americans.