When a new golf club looks ultra-nice, people notice it. And that’s exactly what happened yesterday when I took the Ben Hogan Golf Precision Milled Forged Plumber’s Neck Blade putter ($250) to play San Clemente Golf Course. Other golfers marveled over this dark-finished putter that’s precision-milled from soft carbon steel. According to company officials, the true forging process eliminates hot spots and dead areas, giving you great feel, consistent distance control and true roll. The 355-gram head weight felt heavier to me than my current putter bearing a similar-style head, and it’s decked out with a Super Stroke Mid-Slim 2.0 oversized grip. On the fast, immaculate greens, it took a few holes to gauge the speed and strong ocean breaks. The toughest putts with it — to me — were those from inside three feet. That’s where you need to be delicate while still having some feel. Honestly, I didn’t mind because I kept being able to stand over putts looking down on the clean, sleek lines and silky finish of the gorgeous putter head. There are also three other putters in this family, including two blades and a mallet. They are collectively Hogan’s first new putters in 15 years. I think the wait was worth it.
