As spring approaches, the team at Toulon Golf is feverishly preparing for the 2024 golf season. Last month they introduced their full-scale production putter line, the First Run Collection, which complements their regular Small Batch releases we’ve covered every month since the company’s inception. We continue to find ourselves anxiously waiting to find out exactly what the newest Small Batch putter will look like, and the one for March is undoubtedly going to knock the boots off many fans. Yep, I went there. You see, March’s Toulon Small Batch offering is called the Texas, and it not only pays homage to the great State of Texas, but also six legendary professional golfers that hail from there.
To the uninitiated, the first question that may come to mind is why “Texas”? After all, Toulon Golf has most of its roots planted in a different state. When you look a little deeper though, the answer is easier to come by. The Small Batch Texas takes inspiration from two incredibly popular Toulon putter models, the Austin and the La Grange. In addition, the company recognizes, and wishes to celebrate, the fact that an unusually robust number of celebrated professionals come from Texas. Aside from paying tribute with the name of the putter, Toulon has adorned the sole with symbols that bring these greats to mind.
We hesitated to spell out what each symbol represents, since a little mystery is always fun, but we’ll do it anyway. If you’d like to guess for yourself, take a look at the pictures below and skip the next section until after you think you’ve solved the puzzle.
The first icon we see is (for obvious reasons) my favorite bird of prey, the hawk. Of course, this represents the original Hawk, the great Ben Hogan. Aside from being known as possibly the best ball striker in history, Hogan is well known for his ability to withstand seemingly insurmountable challenges while rising to the occasion.
The second icon is a five-pointed crown. Before you get too confused, no we are not talking about the King. We are talking about the game’s first gentleman, Lord Byron Nelson. Aside from his revered demeanor, Nelson inspired the industry-standard mechanical representation of the perfect swing – Iron Byron.
The first thing you notice about the third symbol is its color. Closer inspection reveals we are looking at a red book – a Little Red book, in fact. This of course represents the father of all modern golf instruction, Harvey Penick. Aside from celebrating his impact on the game, which includes coaching two major winners from Texas, Toulon Golf believes the red book is also a great metaphor to symbolize their core value of learning from those that have come before them.
The ominous fourth icon, a snake, is something many of us are familiar with, being wary of while playing golf in the Lonestar State. However, first impressions aren’t always accurate. Instead, the snake’s inclusion symbolizes humor and how we should always remember to embrace golf for the fun it offers. Some may remember Lee Trevino pulling a rubber snake from his bag at the 1971 US Open, breaking the tension on the first tee as he and Jack Nicklaus squared off in a Monday playoff.
Three coat hangers make up the fifth symbol, bringing to mind the three green jackets won by Jimmy Demaret. The hangers have a bit of a dual-meaning though, as Demaret was well known for his stylish apparel choices, earning him an appropriate nickname – The Wardrobe. His legend is more than skin deep though. Aside from his skill on the golf course, Demaret was loved for his personality and gregarious nature.
Finally, the sixth icon is something many of us will associate with Texas – the oil derrick. Jack Burke Jr, or “Jackie” as many of us know him, passed away at 100 years old in early 2024. He was a two-time major winner, taking both the Masters and the PGA Championship in between April and June of 1956. Burke was a Marine in World War II and spent a short time working in the Texas oil fields afterwards.
As we noted earlier, the Small Batch Texas was borne out of a pair of Toulon stalwart designs, Austin and La Grange. Toulon took one of their most revered blade designs and refined it in a way that pleasantly differentiates it from its predecessors. According to the company, the “Texas features a thinner top line with more elegant chamfered edges, with an ever-so-slightly crowned top line — just enough to deflect light.”
Finished in a stunning Brilliant Black PVD finish, the first thing that the eye notices at address is the lack of sight lines or dots. Instead, the soft lines and sculpted edges are the focus, with intricate milling guiding our gaze from the top line down to the flange.
The Texas is slow milled from 904L Stainless Steel and the face features Toulon’s Super Fine Double Fly Cut pattern and Big Tuna over mill. The company describes the feel created by the combo of the materials and milling pattern as “soft yet crisp”, which sounds positively delightful. A well-placed, contrasting outline of the state of Texas was placed on the heel, leaving no doubt about from where the Texas takes its inspiration.
Details
The Toulon Golf Small Batch Texas putter is priced at $1,800 and will be available in extremely limited quantities on March 14, 2024 at toulongolf.com.
- Material – 904L Stainless Steel
- Face Mill – Super Fine Double Fly with Big Tuna
- Finish – Brilliant Black PVD
- Grip – Toulon Special Black Deep Etched
- Shaft – Chrome Steel
- Headcover – Small Batch Leather
- Head Weight – 350 g / Toe Hang – 53° / Loft – 3° / Lie – 70°
