Equipment
Scotty Cameron tells the story behind the TeI3 “dots,” and his USGA battle
Shortly after the audio stopped rolling on our recent TG2 Podcast with Scotty Cameron, Cameron broke out the pen and pad to explain a few additional stories that were nothing short of fantastic.
He explained the ever-recognizable dots on the back of his Teryllium putters — and how he initially filled them with bathroom caulk — his bout with the USGA over his new wrap-around face inserts, and how swinging an axe in a Home Depot led to the Pistolero grip design.
Below are each of the stories in more depth.
The Caulk Dots
Scotty Cameron’s Teryllium putters were made famous when Tiger Woods won using a Newport 2 TeI3 putter to win the 1997 Masters. The putter is instantly recognizable because of the 32 white dots on the back — Cameron was 32-years old when he designed the putter, thus, the number of dots.
But what you didn’t know, I presume, is that Cameron filled in those dots with caulk that he found at Target while shopping with his daughter.
There were 5 screws in the back cavity of the TeI3 putters; one in each corner, and one right in the center that he used during the milling process. The problem was, the screw in the center was making the putter feel too hard at impact, Cameron said. So he needed something to soften up the feel, and fill in that dot to replace the hole left from the screw. While he was shopping with his daughter at Target, Cameron says he picked up five different types of caulk. After trying each of them out on the putter head — some too soft, some too hard — he found the one that was effective: GE Tub and Tile Silicone caulk.
The company now uses a 3M dampening material made specially for Cameron, but who would have thought the same stuff you would use on your bathroom floor helped make one of the most iconic putters of Tiger Woods’ career?
The USGA battle
One of the biggest hurdles for golf club makers are the USGA limitations… and some of the rules make more sense than others. Scotty Cameron, after designing and manufacturing his new wrap-around insert that was first introduced in his 2016 Scotty Select line, had a particular issue with the parallel groove rule. As Cameron explains, after he manufactured a warehouse full of putters, the USGA took issue with the fact that the insert extended below the putter face, and left grooves on the sole that sat parallel to the target line. Cameron says the rule is in place to keep from companies putting grooves in the sole of woods and irons to help the golf club remain square through impact; but what effect do parallel grooves really have on a putter, Cameron questioned.
So, with ready-for-retail product sitting in a warehouse and fighting a rule that didn’t make sense to him, Cameron said the lawyers got involved. He didn’t explain what happened from there, but the putters with the inserts that wrap around the face hit retail in 2016.
The Axe
Picture this: You’re walking through Home Depot looking for, well, whatever it is you’re looking for in Home Depot. You turn down one of the aisles, and there’s Scotty Cameron swinging an axe like a golf club.
Yea, this really happened. Cameron says he developed the Pistolero putter grip — with the big knob on the end of it — based on the grip of an axe he found while shopping at Home Depot.
The next time Cameron decides to run some errands, to Home Depot, or maybe to Bed, Bath and Beyond (IDK if there’s gonna be enough time), look out for a new putter design.
Neal Shipley was the first to admit that he enjoyed his food while in college. But since his days at Ohio State, he’s slimmed down and earned a PGA Tour Card.
That hasn’t stopped him from having fun with his wedge stampings, though it’s led to some misunderstandings.
On the 54 (degree), we have ‘Big Fudge,'” Shipley told GolfWRX. “It was supposed to be ‘Big Fridge,’ so this happened a little while ago. ‘Big Fridge’ was a nickname between my college teammates and I, with ‘fridge’ meaning stomach, a big stomach.
“We told the Ping guys to put … ‘Big Fridge’ on it, and I think maybe some bad cell service or something, and they thought I said ‘fudge,’ so they put fudge on it.”
On Shipley’s 50-degree he also continues the food theme, this time with his go-to order at the “Golden Arches,” and his stamping “DONS 7.”
“The number 7 meal, the two cheeseburger meal, that was my McDonald’s order, back when I would have McDonald’s frequently,” Shipley shared.
At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals who all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.
It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.
Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, @raw10628 has a L.A.B. DF3 putter and Masters putter cover up for grabs.
From the listing: “Some great items here today, time to thin out and make room for next set of gear. All prices include shipping.
LAB DF3 Purple 33.5” 68° lie with TPT – $725. LAB Masters release DF3 cover – $150.”
To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link. If you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum, you can learn more here: GolfWRX BST Rules
Driver: Ping G440 LST (9 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 5-M4
3-wood: Ping G440 Max (15 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4
5-wood: Ping G440 Max (19 degrees @18)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4
Hybrid: Ping G440 (23 degrees)
Shaft: Oban Isawa Red Hybrid Shaft 04 Flex 70 Gms
Irons: Srixon ZXi7 (5-P)
Shafts: Aerotech SteelFiber Private Reserve i80
Wedges: Cleveland RTZ (50-MID, 54-FULL, 58-MID)
Shafts: Aerotech SteelFiber Private Reserve i105
Putter: L.A.B. Golf OZ.1i
Shaft: ACCRA Putter Shaft
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
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Baba Booey
May 7, 2019 at 12:12 pm
I like the Old School reference. You’re my boy Blue!
Scotty Cameron
Jan 30, 2018 at 11:11 am
Tiger used a NEWPORT TEI3 (sole stamp), not a NP2, to win the Masters in 97. And this was written by the Editor and Chief of Golfwrx? SMH
Whistle Dick
May 7, 2019 at 12:22 pm
How about the parallel groove rule? Didn’t TaylorMade put grooves on the soles of their irons and drivers? Love your work Scotty, big fan. Thanks! ????
Baba Booey
May 7, 2019 at 12:41 pm
Big fan Scotty, love your work. Doesn’t TaylorMade use parallel grooves on their irons and woods?
Joey5Picks
Jan 29, 2018 at 11:10 pm
Good Old School reference. “We’re going streaking!”
james
Jan 29, 2018 at 9:49 pm
That pistol grip is exactly the same as the one wilson used on the TPA, it was a great grip then and is now but there’s no need for that lame story!
Robert Parsons
Jan 31, 2018 at 11:49 am
Don’t let the facts get in the way of a good fairytale!
Benny
Jan 29, 2018 at 6:30 pm
Or when he made Tigers NP2. The weight was slightly over and Scotty drilled a couple holes both on the heel and the cavity. He knew they would rust as he drilled past the finish and into the carbon. So he filled the holes amd paintfil with Red printers ink. This all started the Tour Dot…
DaveyD
Jan 29, 2018 at 6:24 pm
I get a kick out of those “off the cuff” stories.
Ben
Jan 29, 2018 at 5:08 pm
Just another Karsten putter knock-off with minor features that have little to no effect on putting stroke or ball impact. It’s all about name, graphics and bought reputation. Gearheads love their fancy toys and Cameron dishes it out to the full.
WhistleDick
May 7, 2019 at 12:46 pm
Rack Him
Bettinardi
May 7, 2019 at 12:47 pm
Rack Him
Andrew
Jan 29, 2018 at 3:39 pm
Thanks. This is WRX material, not some silly videos in a golf dome.