Bettinardi Belt Buckle - Review

[Matt Saternus]

Bettinardi Belt Buckles

 

 

 

 

Introduction

 

Over the last couple years, one of the major trends in golf fashion has been belt buckles. From understated to blinged-out, the fashionable golfer is definitely giving more thought to what's holding up his or her pants. Over the next couple of weeks I will be writing articles that take a look at some of the premier belt buckle manufacturers. This first article will focus on Bettinardi.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Facts

 

Bettinardi's custom belt buckles are milled from double-aged stainless steel. The buckles that I have seen range in weight from 109-112 grams. In your hand, they feel very substantial, but they aren't the least bit heavy or obtrusive to wear when golfing. The buckle measures about 3” wide and just a hair over 1 ½” tall (there is a 1 ¼” model available also). The strap that is included with the belt is one of the thickest I've seen at 3/16”. The buckle and strap each come in their own Bettinardi drawstring bag. The bags are very classy and are great for keeping your items safe in storage or during travel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Experience and Thoughts

 

When I contacted Bettinardi about doing a review of their belt buckle, I got a very quick and enthusiastic response. I immediately received five buckles and a strap to photograph. The buckles included the modern Hex B buckle, a Patriot Day buckle, and three buckles that Bettinardi has made for golf courses (many top clubs have Bettinardi buckles available with their club logo).

 

Beautiful as these buckles were, I was much more excited at the invitation I received to design my own custom belt buckle. As many of you know, I am a very proud Duke alumnus, so I asked if it would be possible to have a buckle with the Iron D logo. After getting an approval from the university, I sent the image to Bettinardi and started counting the minutes. Thankfully, I did not have to wait very long (about two weeks) before receiving the prettiest piece of DASS I've ever seen.

 

The buckle is truly flawless. The milling is clean, and even the paintfill shows the precision you would expect from Bettinardi. The back of the buckle hasn't been ignored either. It has nice subtle mill marks and says “R.J. Bettinardi Sculpted Metal.” As I mentioned earlier, it has a nice significant heft in your hand, but it's very comfortable to wear and golf in. When you're wearing it, it's noticeable without being overly large or gaudy. The blue leather belt is a perfect complement to the belt. It is a nice thick leather strap that will last a long time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Customization & Customer Service

 

Let's start with the custom options: they're limitless. Check out the Buckle Gallery on the Bettinardi website to see some of the things that other people have done. From different types of paintfills, torched finishes, and, of course, all varieties of custom art/logos/etc, Bettinardi make just about any vision a reality.

 

Now when it comes to customer service, I can't say enough good things about Bettinardi. I've encountered at least six or seven different people who work for Bettinardi and each one has been a class act. From the people who work in the Studio, to the Bettinardi reps, to Bob Bettinardi himself, they have all been friendly and customer-focused.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Value

 

First a quick rundown of the prices: the stock design buckles cost $175, a buckle with a custom logo costs $225, and additional straps cost $60 or $70. The cost of the buckles, whether stock or custom, does include one strap. All of these options can be seen here. I understand that for many people those prices might be heart stopping. As I've said about other high end products, it's not my goal to convince you that this is how you should spend your money. I will say that as high end belt buckles and straps go, these prices are not out of the ordinary. More importantly, I don't think that there is another company that offers more for your money. In my opinion, this is as high quality a product as you can get.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Peanut Gallery

 

The Peanut Gallery all responded to my initial reveal of the Duke belt buckle (complete with Aaron Rodgers-esque “Championship Belt” gesturing) with smirks and laughs. Then things got more serious; I was even asked on more than one occasion to remove my belt (insert joke here). Most everyone was impressed by the weight of the buckle, the precision of the milling, and with how thick the strap is. The group was split on the price issue: some were immediately turned off, while others vowed to “step their buckle game up.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Conclusion

 

If I were to score this, it would receive a perfect 100, without question. I simply don't have a single negative thing to say about the Bettinardi buckle: the proportions are great, the milling is precise and clean, and the customization options are endless. What really seals the deal are the people behind the product: I have never dealt with a company that is more accommodating or that better understands how to make the customer feel valued.

[GolfSpy Dave]

That hex B needs to head to me right now.

Really, right now.

 

Awesome

[Matt Saternus]

For $175 that can be a reality. The five non-Duke buckles were for photography purposes only, otherwise you know I'd hook you up.

[PRO_STIX]

no offense mate but dont you

have something better to do

than review a belt buckle?

 

i think id rather see a review

of a jockstrap-

[GolfSpy_X]

What jockstrap would you like to see reviewed PRO_STIX? We will get you the contact info and get you in touch with the company so you can post a review for the site

 

We reviewed buckles because it is a popular trend right now so we want to highlight some of the best ones around. Simple as that.

 

 

no offense mate but dont you

have something better to do

than review a belt buckle?

 

i think id rather see a review

of a jockstrap-

[JBones]

That hex B needs to head to me right now.

Really, right now.

 

Awesome

I'll make you a deal. You buy one and send it to me and I'll take a picture of myself wearing it to send to you.

[TWShoot67]

I hope to get one of the Bettinardi Buckles w/ The Stinger Bee as it fits with my last name (Whartenby) phonetically sounds like this .... Whar ten bee! The Bumble Bee or the Hornet Stinger that Mr. Bettinardi uses? I'm trying to find the picture of the one I've seen floating around the INTERNET. I have the Bettinardi towel with the swarming bee's. Also I have the head-cover with the swarming bee's, now I just need the buckle and if I could get a belt done with that design as well, that would be SWEET! Maybe we can talk to Mr. Bettinardi and see what he thinks of a black belt with the yellow bee's swarming around the belt. That would be pretty exotic!

 

PS: As soon as I can find that buckle I'll post it.

[TWShoot67]

Top pic my favorite, But I also like this one too.... as well as a few others.