PutterZone – Best Putter Reviews
Right when the economy was in a tailspin last month, Cleveland Golf announced a new solution to your shrinking wallet—$69 putters promising a “soft yet solid feel.”
The new putters fall under the Cleveland Classics banner, and will begin shipping next week. So, does Cleveland Golf uphold its end of the $69 bargain? Following is PutterZone.com’s Cleveland Classic 1 putter review.
The Storyline
According to Cleveland Golf, the new Cleveland Classic putters are “inspired by the classics but crafted for performance.”
The new Cleveland Classic line consists of two blades and a mallet. All three putters are manufactured from 17-4 stainless steel with a hand-polished satin finish, and feature milled faces and heel-toe weighting for added forgiveness.
The Cleveland Classic 1 is a traditional Anser-style blade with a plumber’s neck. The head weighs 340 grams, and the putter comes in lengths of 33, 34 and 35 inches. The lie angle is 70 degrees and the loft is 3 degrees.
The View from PutterZone.com
When I hear about a $69 putter, one word comes to mind: “Clank.” All too often, that’s what you feel in your hands when you use a cheap, non-insert metal putter.
Well, so much for assumptions, because the Cleveland Classic 1 putter far exceeded my expectations in matters of feel—it’s smooth, supple and buttery on the sweet spot. You could easily pay twice as much in search of feel like this.
I have no idea how Cleveland achieved this level of feel at such a bargain price, but they did. Cleveland Golf is a sister brand of Never Compromise, so there’s no shortage of putter design talent in the building, and so maybe I shouldn’t be surprised.
The Cleveland Classic 1 putter earns style points, too. A lot of inexpensive putters attempt to convey added value by overdoing colors, logos, embellishments, etc. But the Cleveland Classic 1 keeps it simple. There are no logos on the finely milled face. The Cleveland logo in the cavity is rendered in simple white, as is the single sightline. The two-tone polished sole looks very sharp. This putter thus exudes a class that belies its price point.
I also love the fact that Cleveland Golf stamps the lie angle and loft on the sole of the putter. Such information introduces the world of putter fitting to golfers who otherwise might not be aware of the importance of lie angle, loft and other fitting specifications.
My only quibble is that the grip and stock headcover don’t match the quality of the putter itself. The grip is dry and hard, and the headcover has a plastic quality. But I look at it this way: you can’t have it all for $69. You can get a good replacement grip for $8. So now you’re up to $77, which is still a remarkable deal for a putter of this caliber.
The Bottom Line
The Cleveland Classic 1 putter is a screamer of a steal at $69, boasting a smooth, buttery feel that far exceeds its price point. It also exudes a crisp design aesthetic that stands out from the bargain crowd. Cleveland Golf has set a new standard for value with the Classic 1 putter.
I just purchased a Classic 1 putter today and have found all that was written here to be so true. This is a great putter! I am going to replace the grip as soon as possible, but the rest is oh so smooth!
I recently switched to an arch stroke and lost the comfort and confidence in my mallet. The Cleveland Classic 1 is the answer to my prayers. Perfect feel and balance and professional looks. I sank everything at the store,bought it ,and re-gripped it,
saved $220.00!
What a great buy!!! My Camerons do not have the feel this 69.00 putter has. As said before the grip is about the only thing worth replacing as it is rock hard!!
I spent about 3 hrs between two stores trying putters..I hit the cleveland classic, as well as several different ping and taylormade putters…the price range on the ones I tried was anywhere from 69-150 dollars…it came down to the ping and the cleveland classic..the store professional came over when he saw I was trying the cleveland classic 1..he said it is a steal for 69 bucks..he said there was not too much difference between it and some of the putters that were double the price…so I took his advice and got it..I could not of been happier..it is so smooth and feels like you are hitting a putter that may of cost $200..I strongly recommend
I had some extra cash and decided it was time to ditch the Taylormade Monza. I spent an hour and a half trying different putters. I had the money for a Cameron and it was close, but I chose the Cleveland because I liked how balance it felt and how natural it felt setting up to put. Only then did I look at the price and I was shocked! I have played four rounds with it and am very pleased. Lag puts feel real good and its solid on the 3-4 foot comebackers. It was a great addition to my game.