A custom Bettinardi BB55 putter with hand-anodized fish graphics. A few limited-edition BB55’s were made for the social and every one of them had custom graphics.
You don’t need a new putter, but you really, really want this one. Why? Because… well…
It’s ok. Bettinardi understands, and that’s why the company has been hosting its social each of the last seven years at its headquarters in Tinley Park, Ill. This year’s event, which took place June 20 and 21, included 40 of the most enthusiastic Bettinardi putter collectors in the world.
How serious is your putter collection? A Missouri man who attended the social said he had more than 1200 Bettinardi headcovers in his collection.
Let me explain the passion these people have for putter collecting. Have you ever looked at a putter and wished it had a little different shape or feel? Sure you have, but that doesn’t make you a putter collector. These people research putters more than you check your portfolio. They buy, sell and trade putters with the frequency that the average golfer buys golf balls.
All that to say this: On Friday night, those 40 collectors gobbled up 300 of Bettinardi’s custom putters (which sold for between $800 and $2000, by the way) and tables full of Bettinardi accessories. If you’re doing the math, that’s 7.5 putters per person. Still think you’re a putter collector?
It’s 7 p.m. Do you know where your favorite Bettinardi putter is?
The schedule included dinner, an open bar, a four-piece blues band and tours of the manufacturing floor so the collectors could see how their favorite putters were made. Then around 7 p.m., company founder Bob Bettinardi gave a speech like he does every year. When he was done talking, that was the signal that collectors could climb the company’s staircase and make one of two turns: left for custom putters, right for custom accessories.
Pick your favorite: Collectors rushed to lay claim to their favorite custom Bettinardi putters at its 2014 social. All of Bettinardi’s putters are designed, milled and assembled in the United States.
Sam Bettinardi, Bob’s son and vice president of sales and marketing for Bettinardi Golf, joked that there was no fighting this year. Or maybe he wasn’t kidding?
The company spends about 8-to-9 months creating the one-off custom putters that are the highlight of the event, he said, something it’s happy to do.
“It’s worth it to get people together, talk about the brand and showcase the abilities we have,” Sam said.
The next morning, the group played a round at Crystal Tree in Orlando Park, where Sam estimated that about 30-to-40 percent of the collectors were using a new putter for their round. Somehow, I don’t think it will be their last new Bettinardi.
Here’s a few of our favorites putters from the social. Click here to see more photos from Bettinardi’s 2014 Social and what GolfWRX Members are saying about the putters in the forum.
Only 30 of these Bettinardi Propaganda theme putters were made. Notice how the face milling matches the engraving on the sole of the putter.
A twisty-neck “Kool-Aid” BB0 (pronounced bee-bee-zero) with a torched shaft and head. Very few Bettinardi Kool-Aid putters are made, making this an extremely rare find.
A BB0 putter with alternating copper and aluminum bronze plugs in the face. Each plug is placed by hand and the putter face was milled four times with four different milling patterns that include Bettinardi’s Honeycomb, F.I.T. Face, and Zipper techniques.
Click here to see more photos from Bettinardi’s 2014 Social and what GolfWRX Members are saying about the putters in the forum.