How 'bout them small(er) golf companies

[McaseyM]

In this hyper connected world, we all see a little golf related something from a person or company that we've never heard of before, and it can you be amusing, cool or down right genius.

 

I kinda peruse Instagram a bit, checking out golf related stuff, which then places more golf stuff on my search field. I've posted about a few different companies on here, usually of the putter variety, but sometimes I come across golf accessories or drills, etc.

 

MGS does a fantastic job of highlighting golf companies both large and small, but there are so many that pop up these days, they couldn't keep up with interviewing and publishing them all, so I thought it would be cool to share any that the forum members come across and appreciate/admire/covet.

 

I know things here could fit into other forum categories, but why not let the smaller companies have their own space?

Feel free to share as much or little as you like, but post pics when you can.

 

Enjoy and happy hunting!

 

 

 

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[McaseyM]

Since I started this, I'll go first. I'll be detailing my new putter from designer/machinist Two Talents Design in the coming weeks, especially since I got to help him with the actual design.

 

Through my work with 2T, he partnered for a giveaway with Birdicorn, an accessories company. I'm a sucker for cool cartoons and logos, and really dig their 2 primary logos

 

Birdicorn:

 

 

Fourputt:

 

 

They do inexpensive markers of these 2 logos, from $2-3 each, but their primary seller is their divot tool

 

 

Which is a divot tool, bottle opener,

 

 

club/cigar

 

 

 

alignment aid and line tool:

 

 

 

They also have towels, shirts, and hats.

 

Some golf buddies and I will be placing an order soon ( gotta love trying to get people organized) so I can report back on its effectiveness. I'll be going with this combo, to match my new putter.

 

 

Check them out at

 

https://birdicorn.com

[McaseyM]

Next on the docket is Two Talents Design, one of the very first small golf companies I began to follow on Instagram. I found Kevin "Two Talents" Hartwig through MyGolfSpy's putter guru Dave Wolfe, who I also follow on IG.

 

 

I saw a few of his original putters and was intrigued:

 

 

 

 

 

I found that he sold through Etsy and contacted him to find out if he made custom putters, looking to have a wide body blade made. I was very pleasantly surprised to find he was planning to do a new putter design and a wide body blade sounded like a good idea.

After going over a few makes that I liked, he blended some designs into his own and we came up with the Honey Badger:

 

 

 

you can see my full write up about it here: https://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/21005-the-honey-badger-by-two-talents-design/

 

 

Working with Kevin, I have gotten to know him fairly well. He is faith-centered family man who loves to design and build cool stuff. The Two Talents name holds a double meaning: (1) the talents of Design and Manufacturing and (2) a biblical parable where 3 servants were given "talents" of gold, one received 5, one given 2 and the last given 1, where a single talent weighs about 110 pounds.

 

Here's some wood and cross pendants he made with the proceeds going to support Christians facing persecution;

 

 

and he is currently working with Birdicorn on a custom putter:

 

 

he's also becoming quiet prodigious in the tool and ball marker realm with designs like these:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes he did do a Captain America shield marker as a special request, but said he doesn't like to follow what others have done before, so I wouldn't expect him to churn any more out.

 

 

If you like his stuff, give him a follow. I think he's working on a website.

 

You can contact him via email at [email protected]

 

[Reesedw]

Very Cool.. I'll be checking both of them out.. Thanks

[STUDque]

Wow! That's some fine craftsmanship. Just gorgeous.

 

 

How does the putter roll?

 

 

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[McaseyM]

Wow! That's some fine craftsmanship. Just gorgeous.

 

 

How does the putter roll?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

Very well, switching to a new grip today which will help, the forward Press Grip just doesn't fit my hand well and trying to adjust to a new putter and totally different grip design has been awkward.

The putter itself is awesome, easy alignment and an audible muted click

When I stroke the sweet spot.

 

 

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[chemclub]

Great idea for a thread McaseyM. It is my goal to transition my bag towards a set of clubs the casual golfer has never heard of. I find most of these companies through casual mention by posters on MGS. Just have the 3w, 3h, putter left to swap and I should be fine. Now if I play bad, the other folks in my group will just think "Of course, look at that hackers bag."

[chemclub]

Very cool divot tool by the way. I like the blunted tines. I fell like sharp tines are just a recipe for pocket holes through which my $20 divot tool may be lost. Or have you ever reached into your pocket and that sharp tine slips right under your finger nail -- Ewww don't think about it!

 

I just ordered a custom ball marker from Liberty Ball Markers so maybe the next pocket item will be from 2T.

[cnosil]

Did a quick seArch and found theirFacebook page the link on Facebook to their instagram page didn't work. Would love to see more, always helpful to provide a link to their site when referencing a company.

[McaseyM]

Did a quick seArch and found theirFacebook page the link on Facebook to their instagram page didn't work. Would love to see more, always helpful to provide a link to their site when referencing a company.

Which company are you referring to? Two Talents I think only has his IG account and last i checked, his Etsy shop was on vacation mode.

If it's birdicorn, my apologies to you and them for not including their address, posting has been updated

 

 

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[cnosil]

Which company are you referring to? Two Talents I think only has his IG account

Was referring to two talents. I only found a Facebook page.

[chemclub]

Voila, the Liberty Ball Marker I just received

 

 

 

 

 

[TBT]

Some pretty cool stuff

[McaseyM]

Voila, the Liberty Ball Marker I just received

 

That is so awesome!

 

 

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[McaseyM]

Here's the finished birdicorn collaboration putter, finished and painted. Large basketball is the sweet spot and the rest of the unpainted face milling is a smaller version.

The face cartoon face on the toe end is of Atlanta Hawks guard Kent Bazemore.

 

 

 

 

 

Up next...... Bradley putters

 

 

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[chemclub]

Here's the finished birdicorn collaboration putter, finished and painted. Large basketball is the sweet spot and the rest of the unpainted face milling is a smaller version.

The face cartoon face on the toe end is of Atlanta Hawks guard Kent Bazemore.

 

Up next...... Bradley putters

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

 

Oh no, They screwed up and made the putter head face the wrong way! Ah, I am so sorry MacseyM.

 

BTW, the name birdicorn really threw me—I really didn't like it. After reading the origin I think it is kind of fun, and now I have a name for a hole-in-one on a par 5 if I ever get one.

https://birdicorn.com/pages/about-us

 

I think their towels with the scrub pad a pretty cool too.

[McaseyM]

Now, we come to a company that was originally introduced to the MGS forum in April: Bradley Putters out of Grants Pass, Oregon.

 

 

The first pics I ever saw of his work were of his “live edge” putters, where he took a piece of Burl wood and smoothed multiple sides (depending of the shape of the block) making a flat face and sole area while maintaining the natural wood shape for the flange, sides and/or back end. Admittedly, these were not my style so I kinda wrote it off.

 

 

Here's the original post:

 

https://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/19189-bradley-putters/

 

 

Well, as I continued to surf IG (and they tracked what I would actually look at) these brightly-colored wood putter heads in more traditional shapes and cool style would pop up,

 

 

 

 

and, lo-and-behold, it was Bradley Putters again.

Since then, I began to follow his account and have been amazed by some of the things he's been doing.

 

Started by Brad Converse, a mechanical engineer who was a former military contractor, the idea to make a putter out of burl came to him on while he was at a Mother Goose Store during Black Friday 2016. He'd been whittling since he was 5 and golfed since he was 10, and wanted to start to small business to support and grow his local community instead of uprooting his family to Virginia to keep his previously mentioned design job. He procured some Olive Burl from a friend at Oregon Burls and fashioned 2 prototypes, getting them into golfers' hands at a local course within 1 week.

 

 

After another 2 weeks, Puttskee invited them to be at the 2017 PGA Merchandise Show, and they were crowned “Best New Product” at the show by Golf.com

 

 

As for amount of “tech,” these could likely be considered the “no-est” of no-tech putters. Bradley Putters are hand-made pieces: “We don't use any CNC machining, only table saws, bandsaws, belt sanders, orbital sanders, and a drill press. Our decades of experience with engineering and woodworking ensure tight tolerances and deadly accurate putters.” He uses stabilized wood, which means the air has been replaced by a hardener, increasing the hardness and density by 50%. This makes it as hard as brass, but with only 12% of its density, which he states gives it a “soft, , responsive feel” and allows him to “control the overall weight using internally placed lead, which gives us full control over the engineering properties.”

 

 

After inserting the weights, he glues and clamps a top piece, lining up the grain to make it as uniform as possible

 

 

As for the actual ball-striking area, “ we also don't need to mill the face, which only makes the face feel softer on a steel putter”

 

Brad keeps it very local, sticking to the motto “always buy the closest thing, not the cheapest thing.” For many of his putter heads, he orders raw materials from Oregon Burls, another Grants Pass company that hardens wood chunks with various acrylic materials to make some amazing colors, designs and patterns for woodworkers.

 

 

 

 

He has also taken wood pieces from customers, (such as cricket bats) and fashioned some cool stuff:

 

 

He has expanded his designs to make both the “live edge” putters as well as more formal shapes and in some cases, a combination:

 

Live Edge Putter

Taken from the side of the burl, Live Edge putters are the most difficult to make. They maintain the bumpy, undulating character of the wood, while performing like any other high-end putter.

 

 

Boondock Putter

With a lower profile than the classic, and a slightly curved base, the Boondock is one of our most loved putters.

 

 

Luna Putter

With a high MOI and low profile, the Luna has outstanding feel with forgiving off-center hits.

 

 

 

King Putter

Named after the King himself, Arnold Palmer, this blade style has gorgeous curves that amplify each and every wood grain.

 

 

Check-mate-

 

 

Widowmaker-

 

 

 

Now, I have never had the opportunity to roll one of these putters, but as for style (and presumably function) they are pretty damn sweet. If anyone has, please share your thoughts. He has grown a strong following on IG, breaking the 15K mark after less than 1 year and was one of the feature prizes at the Major Series of Putting competition recently in Las Vegas.

 

 

He makes his head covers in-house, as well as designed some cool lumberjack polos, clean and simple hats as well as some cool ball markers.

 

 

 

 

 

He also was requested to submit some hardware for MGS's “favorite” rating publication, the Golf Digest Hot List, so his work is likely to be featured even more soon.

 

While not for everyone, I've become a fan of his work, and really appreciate that he's keeping it USA-made and manufactured. He stayed home to build a business and contribute to Grants Pass ”knowing that I was ultimately called to serve the Southern Oregon community.” His work is “American-Made, American-Sourced, and (is a) Family-Run Small Business in Small Town America. We stand behind our products, and know that you will love your putter as much as we loved hand-crafting it.”

 

 

If anyone is interested, he has some pre-made putters for sale, or, for something that fits your style, you can choose your own block of raw material, and choose your head shape, weight (300-400g) , alignment lines, shaft color, lie angle, grip, length and laser or hand-burned engraving.

 

 

His putters are not inexpensive, but the base pricing isn't crazy as some other custom putter makers out there. All of his putters are hand-made and come with probably the most amazing warranty in the business:

 

 

 

Check them out at www.bradleyputters.com

 

 

 

 

 

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[AH1980MN]

Dyslexia strikes again! I keep reading "Grass Pants"... Sorry- but it would be cool to have one of these.

[tony@CIC]

Now, we come to a company that was originally introduced to the MGS forum in April: Bradley Putters out of Grants Pass, Oregon.

 

Image1510985323.419384.jpg

 

The first pics I ever saw of his work were of his “live edge” putters, where he took a piece of Burl wood and smoothed multiple sides (depending of the shape of the block) making a flat face and sole area while maintaining the natural wood shape for the flange, sides and/or back end. Admittedly, these were not my style so I kinda wrote it off.

 

IMG_3311.PNG

 

Here's the original post:

 

https://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/19189-bradley-putters/

 

 

Well, as I continued to surf IG (and they tracked what I would actually look at) these brightly-colored wood putter heads in more traditional shapes and cool style would pop up,

 

 

IMG_3312.PNG

 

 

and, lo-and-behold, it was Bradley Putters again.

Since then, I began to follow his account and have been amazed by some of the things he's been doing.

 

Started by Brad Converse, a mechanical engineer who was a former military contractor, the idea to make a putter out of burl came to him on while he was at a Mother Goose Store during Black Friday 2016. He'd been whittling since he was 5 and golfed since he was 10, and wanted to start to small business to support and grow his local community instead of uprooting his family to Virginia to keep his previously mentioned design job. He procured some Olive Burl from a friend at Oregon Burls and fashioned 2 prototypes, getting them into golfers' hands at a local course within 1 week.

 

IMG_3313.PNG

 

After another 2 weeks, Puttskee invited them to be at the 2017 PGA Merchandise Show, and they were crowned “Best New Product” at the show by Golf.com

 

IMG_3315.PNG

 

As for amount of “tech,” these could likely be considered the “no-est” of no-tech putters. Bradley Putters are hand-made pieces: “We don't use any CNC machining, only table saws, bandsaws, belt sanders, orbital sanders, and a drill press. Our decades of experience with engineering and woodworking ensure tight tolerances and deadly accurate putters.” He uses stabilized wood, which means the air has been replaced by a hardener, increasing the hardness and density by 50%. This makes it as hard as brass, but with only 12% of its density, which he states gives it a “soft, , responsive feel” and allows him to “control the overall weight using internally placed lead, which gives us full control over the engineering properties.”

 

Image1510985788.336637.jpg

 

After inserting the weights, he glues and clamps a top piece, lining up the grain to make it as uniform as possible

 

Image1510986632.828414.jpg

 

As for the actual ball-striking area, “ we also don't need to mill the face, which only makes the face feel softer on a steel putter”

 

Brad keeps it very local, sticking to the motto “always buy the closest thing, not the cheapest thing.” For many of his putter heads, he orders raw materials from Oregon Burls, another Grants Pass company that hardens wood chunks with various acrylic materials to make some amazing colors, designs and patterns for woodworkers.

 

Image1510986311.615409.jpg

 

Image1510986328.425844.jpg

 

Image1510986343.838404.jpg

 

He has also taken wood pieces from customers, (such as cricket bats) and fashioned some cool stuff:

 

Image1510986357.449111.jpg

 

He has expanded his designs to make both the “live edge” putters as well as more formal shapes and in some cases, a combination:

 

Live Edge Putter

Taken from the side of the burl, Live Edge putters are the most difficult to make. They maintain the bumpy, undulating character of the wood, while performing like any other high-end putter.

 

Image1510986371.787019.jpg

 

Boondock Putter

With a lower profile than the classic, and a slightly curved base, the Boondock is one of our most loved putters.

 

IMG_3316.PNG

 

Luna Putter

With a high MOI and low profile, the Luna has outstanding feel with forgiving off-center hits.

 

Image1510986486.922681.jpg

 

 

King Putter

Named after the King himself, Arnold Palmer, this blade style has gorgeous curves that amplify each and every wood grain.

 

IMG_3314.PNG

 

Check-mate-

 

Image1510986519.022297.jpg

 

Widowmaker-

 

Image1510986532.073148.jpg

 

 

Now, I have never had the opportunity to roll one of these putters, but as for style (and presumably function) they are pretty damn sweet. If anyone has, please share your thoughts. He has grown a strong following on IG, breaking the 15K mark after less than 1 year and was one of the feature prizes at the Major Series of Putting competition recently in Las Vegas.

 

Image1510988159.170186.jpg

 

He makes his head covers in-house, as well as designed some cool lumberjack polos, clean and simple hats as well as some cool ball markers.

 

 

IMG_3317.PNG

 

Image1510986688.882949.jpg

 

Image1510986663.215640.jpg

 

He also was requested to submit some hardware for MGS's “favorite” rating publication, the Golf Digest Hot List, so his work is likely to be featured even more soon.

 

While not for everyone, I've become a fan of his work, and really appreciate that he's keeping it USA-made and manufactured. He stayed home to build a business and contribute to Grants Pass ”knowing that I was ultimately called to serve the Southern Oregon community.” His work is “American-Made, American-Sourced, and (is a) Family-Run Small Business in Small Town America. We stand behind our products, and know that you will love your putter as much as we loved hand-crafting it.”

 

Image1511034861.597533.jpg

 

If anyone is interested, he has some pre-made putters for sale, or, for something that fits your style, you can choose your own block of raw material, and choose your head shape, weight (300-400g) , alignment lines, shaft color, lie angle, grip, length and laser or hand-burned engraving.

 

667353D8-4231-4D9B-8CF7-F1122EC76EB4.jpg

 

His putters are not inexpensive, but the base pricing isn't crazy as some other custom putter makers out there. All of his putters are hand-made and come with probably the most amazing warranty in the business:

 

Image1510986855.552655.jpg

 

 

Check them out at www.bradleyputters.com

 

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

Those putters are so nice I probably would be afraid to play with them. Would probably hang it on the wall vs in the bag.

 

 

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[STUDque]

Those putters are so nice I probably would be afraid to play with them. Would probably hang it on the wall vs in the bag.

 

 

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They sure look like they can handle a beating to me. That lifetime warranty is no joke.

 

 

Beautiful putters, I wonder if they make the ball go in the hole?

 

 

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[PMookie]

Coobs Golf made my head cover and it's fantastic.

https://www.coobsgolf.com

 

I posted a thread about my driver, but I can't say enough about it. KZG VC-460 is THE best driver I've hit in the last two years, and I've been through fittings for every driver on the market.

http://kzg.com/club/vc-460/

 

 

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[The Dansome]

This is a dope thread

[tommc23]

This is a dope thread

Dope now that's a word I haven't heard in a while

 

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[Bags]

Next on the docket is Two Talents Design, one of the very first small golf companies I began to follow on Instagram. I found Kevin "Two Talents" Hartwig through MyGolfSpy's putter guru Dave Wolfe, who I also follow on IG.

 

IMG_3070.PNG

 

I saw a few of his original putters and was intrigued:

 

IMG_2635.PNG

 

IMG_2636.PNG

 

IMG_2639.PNG

 

 

I found that he sold through Etsy and contacted him to find out if he made custom putters, looking to have a wide body blade made. I was very pleasantly surprised to find he was planning to do a new putter design and a wide body blade sounded like a good idea.

After going over a few makes that I liked, he blended some designs into his own and we came up with the Honey Badger:

 

2FD41CDE-5670-4346-9CA1-2773B4B53EEE.jpg

 

 

you can see my full write up about it here: https://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/21005-the-honey-badger-by-two-talents-design/

 

 

Working with Kevin, I have gotten to know him fairly well. He is faith-centered family man who loves to design and build cool stuff. The Two Talents name holds a double meaning: (1) the talents of Design and Manufacturing and (2) a biblical parable where 3 servants were given "talents" of gold, one received 5, one given 2 and the last given 1, where a single talent weighs about 110 pounds.

 

Here's some wood and cross pendants he made with the proceeds going to support Christians facing persecution;

 

6E02FD67-2023-40C0-B44D-9DB6F82CF83F.jpg

 

and he is currently working with Birdicorn on a custom putter:

 

IMG_2633.PNG

 

he's also becoming quiet prodigious in the tool and ball marker realm with designs like these:

 

IMG_2630.PNG

 

IMG_2631.PNG

 

IMG_2632.PNG

 

IMG_2640.PNG

 

A5E677B3-F70B-481C-A8F8-1FD782C1E9A1.jpg

 

Yes he did do a Captain America shield marker as a special request, but said he doesn't like to follow what others have done before, so I wouldn't expect him to churn any more out.

 

IMG_2655.PNG

 

If you like his stuff, give him a follow. I think he's working on a website.

 

You can contact him via email at [email protected]

 

IMG_3072.PNG

IMG_3071.JPG

very cool

 

 

Bags

[McaseyM]

Two Talents sent me a little something to test our and give feedback....

 

 

 

I think it'll work well on the greens in Monterey next weekend

 

 

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[Golfspy_CG2]

Send a couple out here, we can use a good ice pick this week 

 

Seriously, it's a pretty cool design. I have one with the same style teeth, but the base/grip isn't as nice looking.   

[JAGolfore]

I use these guys once or twice a year for nice score card holders.

 

https://www.gotocaddie.com

 

I'll get some photos up this afternoon of my latest from them. Very good yardage books as well.

 

 

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[MGoBlue100]

Since I started this, I'll go first. I'll be detailing my new putter from designer/machinist Two Talents Design in the coming weeks, especially since I got to help him with the actual design.

 

Through my work with 2T, he partnered for a giveaway with Birdicorn, an accessories company. I'm a sucker for cool cartoons and logos, and really dig their 2 primary logos

 

Birdicorn:

 

IMG_2159.PNG

 

Fourputt:

 

IMG_2158.PNG

 

They do inexpensive markers of these 2 logos, from $2-3 each, but their primary seller is their divot tool

 

IMG_2157.PNG

 

Which is a divot tool, bottle opener,

 

IMG_2160.PNG

 

club/cigar

 

IMG_2153.PNG

 

IMG_2154.PNG

 

alignment aid and line tool:

 

IMG_2162.PNG

 

IMG_2164.PNG

 

They also have towels, shirts, and hats.

 

Some golf buddies and I will be placing an order soon ( gotta love trying to get people organized) so I can report back on its effectiveness. I'll be going with this combo, to match my new putter.

 

IMG_2155.PNG

 

Check them out at

 

https://birdicorn.com

That thing is frickin' cool! Wish I had seen this before Christmas!

 

 

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[JAGolfore]

Here is the score card holder and a yardage book I made for a course near by.

 

https://www.gotocaddie.com

 

 

 

 

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[McaseyM]

Here is another Version of a BirdiCorn tool they will be prototyping in the coming months

 

 

 

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