|
|
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
What's in my bagOftentimes, when I am out on the course with a new
group, the other players are curious about the clubs I am playing with. Similarly, I get emails from time to time from visitors
to the site asking me what clubs I play. There is no better testimonial to the quality of well made custom-fitted golf clubs
than having people see a great drive or clutch chip or putt, and being able to pick the club up and give it a close inspection.
Well, it is hard to do that over the internet, but I can at least tell you what's currently in my bag. One of the fun
aspects of my job is testing new offerings from component manufacturers, and trying out new configurations of heads, shafts,
even grips. Sometimes, out of these tests, a clear winner emerges: those are the clubs that go in my bag.
My
current set make-up consists of Tom Wishon Golf Technology (TWGT) 550C irons (5-PW, TWGT 785HF hybrid (3,4) , TWGT 949MC fairway metals (3,5) , all with TWGT Inter-Flex graphite shafts (stiff); CER oil-soaked weges(56 and 60 deg.)
with Aldila VX graphite shafts, carryovers from last year's set. For my driver, my current favorite is a 10.5 degree
Maltby CT250 with an Aldila DVS 65-S graphite shaft. Of course, the anchor of the bag is an Old School Putters OSPII
hickory shaft putter.
I like Winn grips, especially their old wrap designs. But I have PCi grips on my irons and
hyvrids, and I am learning to love them. They're a little hard on the hands at first, but once I got used to them, I really
appreciated the "grippiness" of these grips.
At the bottom left of this photo, you can see how the wedges
are starting to oxidize. This is normal, and I love it. To keep the oil-soaked (aka "oil can") wedges shiny,
regularly reapply a thin coat of oil.
My choice of ball right now is the Wilson i-Wound. I don't think they make
these any more, but they are still available out there if you hunt for them. Like most golfers, I have hit just about
every ball there is, just by trying whatever I happen to find in the woods or pull out of a pond. But, unlike a lot of golfers,
I feel a difference in every type of ball, and defintely have a preference for a soft (even buttery) feeling when I hit the
ball, and a ball with medium spin and distance.
 Down in Myrtle Beach, back in early April, my golfing partner and I pulled up to the tee of a par 3 and there were two balls,
freshly washed, tossed next to the tee (apparently by the greenskeepers). I teed one up and hit it. I loved how it felt at
impact and--perhaps more influentially--how close to the pin it landed. It was a Wilson i-Wound. I played this
single ball for the rest of the round, and became a convert right there. Bought a few dozen on the Internet, and now
that's my ball.
Throw in some tees, a couple snack bars, a towel or two, and that's what's in my bag.
11:07 am est
Friday, June 5, 2009
Myrtle Beach Trip reportThe Myrtle Beach Trip was a success. I don't know how many orders will eventually come directly out
of it, but I feel good about it, and had a lot of fun, anyway.
I have to give special thanks to the following:
The management and staff at the Carolina Winds Hotel, for their patience with a room full of equipment and golf clubs, and their help in getting the internet conncection back
online in the middle of the night.
The staff and greenskeepers at The Legends Resort. They have a first rate facility. All fifty four holes were in absolutely perfect condition!
The staff and
instructors at Classic Swing Golf School, especially Ted Frick, Natalie Cruse, on-site master club maker Royce "Obi-Wan" Paulson, and their young pro Matt
"Can't Quit My Night Job Just Yet" O'Neil.
Speaking of Matt's night job,
the staff and cooks at Cheeseburger in Paradise kick out some killer burgers. The second night was even better than the first.
Hopefully,
this will become an annual thing, especially if it can generate some business for OSP.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Japan Trip UpdateI know this post is dated June, but the old blog posts were lost during the site conversion, and I want
to let you know how the March trip went. Here is a summary:
The Japan trip was a qualified success. I visited
several golf courses, ranges and stores in the Tokyo/Yokohama areas to demonstrate my lines of putters and wedges.
It seems that, as golf-crazed as the Japanese are, they are also brand-crazed as well. The most common comment I received
was "These are very nice clubs, but Japanese golfers only prefer clubs from the major brand names." So, no
deals with the courses or stores, but I handed out a lot of business cards to actual golfers, and received a substantial number
of hits from Japan IP addresses. I have made for and sold clubs to Japanese customers before (along with many other
international customers) so I believe the opportunity is still there, and will continue with my yearly trips to the country.
Now, to the golf: While I was in Japan, I had the opportunity to play a couple rounds with local golfers.
One round was at Tokyo Kokusai Country Club in Tokyo, a beautiful private course near the Yokohama border (http://www.kokusai-net.co.jp/tkgc/, mostly in Japanese). Although it was March, and course conditions were not ideal, the
weather was fine, and the course was in more than adequate conditions. The courses has two sets of greens: bent
grass for the cooler months, and "kosai grass" for the hotter months. We played the "BG" greens and
I found them to be smooth and fast. The fairways, despite being sprayed with green food coloring, were a different story:
mushy in the best places, and wetter than that everywhere else. I blame my 94 completely on the mushy fairways, although the
lack of foliage in the woods might have saved me a stroke or two, so it wasn't all bad news!
The second round I
played was at Ashigara Shinrin (http://www.as-cc.co.jp/, in Japanese only) was in better shape. No food coloring to get on my pants and shoes; the fairways
were a uniform coffee color throughout the course This course is stunningly beautiful in the warmer months, but
it was no slouch, even in March. Severe elevation changes increase the challenge on this somewhat short course Several
of the holes offer panoramic vistas of Mount Fuji. Despite 8 pars, I couldn't break 90 on this course, what
with all the ridges, dropoffs and OB stakes. Several times I hit what I thought were great drives, only to drive up and
find I had blown right through a hidden dogleg behind a hill. Too bad Sky Caddie hasn't mapped this (or many other
courses in Japan) yet!
At both course, the facilities were first rate. There is definitely something "old school"
about having a leisurely lunch at the turn, and an even more leisurely soak in the spring-fed hot baths afterward.
And the snack shack midway through the back nine at Ashigara Shinrin would put many a US golf course's
clubhouses to shame--it was that nice. The view from the counter of Mt. Fuji overlooking the 14th green and 15th tee
is priceless! (see photo at left)
11:38 pm est
New Site FormatThe website has a new, updated look for the 2009 season.
We will be going to a full-service vendor site soon, as soon as I have settled on a new provider for the vendor services.
10:53 pm est
|
|
|
2009.06.01
|
Welcome to Old School Putters!
The highest quality hand-built golf clubs! Classic Hickory Putters, Contemporary
Putters, Wedges, Wedge Sets, Irons, Titanium Drivers, Complete Custom Fitted Sets . . . and more!
Old School Putters is a full service
club fitting and club building shop. We are particularly dedicated to the feel and tradition of "old school" hickory-shafted
putters. Nothing matches the buttery-smooth touch and feedback of a well-turned American Hickory shaft, paired with a high
quality soft-metal putter head.
These aren't just "old putters." Old School Putters is about the marriage of modern technology with
traditional materials. Most of our putters have the heavier swingweight of today's modern putters. To match that, the
hickory shafts are lathed with less taper, and therefore less flex, to work in harmony with these putter heads.
| The Current Old School Putters Lineup |
|
|
| The Brassie II, The OSP II, The Lefty II, The Black and Tan II |
And Old School Putters isn't just about putters! I am a full-service custom club fitter
and
clubmaker. From drivers and fairway woods, to
sets of irons and custom wedges. And for these items, the latest technology is what it's about: titanium heads, graphite
shafts, stepless steel shafts--all custom fit, and all spined and aligned before building. All of the items you see on this
site have been custom built by me, unless it specifically says otherwise.
I
have been involved in the world of golf, as a player and then a clubmaker, for almost 40
years, and I take an enormous pride in my golf clubs. I hope that you'll find something in my store that you like. I can also can create custom orders: email george@oldschoolputters.com and let me know what you want.
George Bastuba, Clubmaker
We proudly accept PayPal! 
Browse the Old School Putters lineup
| The Brassie II |
|
|
| Solid brass head, American Hickory shaft, mahogany genuine leather wrap. $99.99 |
| The Black and Tan II |
|
|
| Black anodized zinc, American Hickory shaft, black genuine leather wrap. $99.99 |
| The Lefty II |
|
|
| Brushed silver finished zinc, American Hickory shaft, black genuine leather wrap. $99.99 |
| The OSP II |
|
|
| Brushed silver finished zinc, American Hickory shaft, Mahogany genuine leather wrap. $99.99 |
| Black Genuine Leather wrap |
|
|
| Standard on the Black and Tan II and the Lefty II |
| Mahogany Genuine Leather wrap |
|
|
| Standard on the Brassie II and the OSP II |
| CER Oil-soaked wedge set. 52, 56, and 60 degree. |
|
|
| Available in standard length, or built to order. $119.99 |
Thank you very much for visiting
this website. Please come back again!
|
|
| George Bastuba, Proprietor, Old School Putters |
Contact Old School Putters Toll free: 866.488.4417 Email: george@oldschoolputters.com
Total Visitors since Sep. 1, 2007
Powered by Register.com
|
|
Get Back to The Game!
| Former Member |
|
| The PCS disbanded, following financial improprieties at the Louisville headquarters |
| In its place the ICG was created |
|
What's New:
Wedge Sets!
Previously the most overlooked (yet critical) clubs in most player's bags, the humble wedge is finally getting its due,
as several high-end component manufacturers are now producing matched wedge sets and working with professional clubmakers
to develop fitting criteria to maximize their effectiveness. (See my Guest Book for one success story!) Look for new offerings
here on Old School Putters now that the 2009 season is under way. International Shipping! I now have
international shipping to dozens of countries. All items ship by USPS Priority Mail.
New Putter lineup! I have retired a couple of models
from the hickory shafted lineup, and revamped the entire line with several upgrades. The new lineup has four of the
best models I've ever offered! Check them out.
PCS and ICG News. The Professional Clubmakers Society has disbanded, following
financial improprieties at the Louisville, KY headquarters and several attempts to recover. Out of the formers members
of the PCS sprung the International Club Makers Guild. I am still assessing whether this new organization will have
a lasting impact in the custom clubmaking community (membership is in the low hundreds at this point), and whether is
is worth my time to actively participate in the organization. Rest assured, all OSP customers get the best possible custom
products regardless of the viability of such organizations and/or my decision to affiliate with them. For more info
on the ICG and its goals, visit http://www.clubmakersguild.com/.
How to Shop:
If you will be in the local New York City area and are interested in a full
set of fully custom fitted golf clubs, email me to request an appointment, so we can get you started on the path to proerly
fitted clubs and a more satisfying golf experience!
If you want to order any item you see on this website--or if you just want to deal with me directly--email
me and let me know what you'd like. I will put together a quote and send you an invoice. I am currently set up to revceive
payment with PayPal, personal or cashiers check, or money order. For in-stock items, as soon as payment is received,
I will ship your item out to you, USPS Priority Mail (additional handling time for checks and money orders). For custom
orders, work begins when payment is received and the items ship out as soon as they are completed.
Reshafting services:
Turn your putter into an Instant Classic!
If you have a great
putter that you would like to have fitted with a Hickory shaft, I can do that for you! Send me an email with a description
of your putter and I will send you all the information you need to get the process started.
Note that not all
putters are suitable for reshafting with Hickory; putters with a single- or double-bend steel shaft are not good candidates
for reshafting with a straight Hickory shaft. Also, putters that do not have a standard .370 bore hosel may not work or may
require extensive benchwork to fit. If you are not sure about your particular putter, send me an email with the brand and
model (include a close up photo of the head and lower part of the shaft, if possible) and I will let you know if it can be
reshafted with hickory.
Full set or individual club reshafting:
If you love your current clubs, but
want to change shafts, it's easy. Just ship your clubs to me, and I will remount them with the shaft of your choosing.
All shafts will be cut to your specifications, spined and aligned and finished off with a fresh grip. If you just
want your current shafts spined and remounted on your clubheads, I can do that too (new grips required).
Reshaft
Pricing:
Standard putter reshafting with Hickory shaft and grip: $25 plus shipping.
Standard putter reshafting
with steel shaft and grip (yes, I can do that, too!): $12 plus shipping.
Other club reshafting (spining included): $12
plus shaft (if desired), grip and shipping
Optional grips or clubs requiring extensive benchwork will incur
an additional fee.
What is Spining?
Spining is the process of finding each individual shaft's natural flex position, called
the "spine." Every shaft--steel and graphite--exhibits this characteristic. Aligning the clubhead in relation
to the spine of the shaft dramatically improves consistency from shot to shot, up and down the set of clubs. The
mass production golf companies don't do this to their clubs. Some of the big custom club shops offer spining
for an additional charge (Golfsmith calls it "Puring" and charges $10 per shaft).
I believe so much in
this process that, as part my club making or reshafting process, I spine every shaft--after cutting to length--and align
it with the clubhead before final gluing. The value of this process alone is $10 per club or more, but I automatically include
it in all of my services at no additional charge because I want you to love your clubs and recommend my services to others.
It's the Old School way of doing business!
What's the golf forecast in YOUR neighborhood?
If you know someone who would be interested
in this site, click below to send them a link.
|
 
|
By joining our mailing list, you will be
the first to know about: - Breaking
news about our business
- Helpful tips
- Exclusive special offers
Send an email, with
the subject line "Add To Mailing List" to: george@oldschoolputters.com
|
|
|
