Equipment

Spotted: Charley Hoffman’s one-off Scotty Cameron putter

Published

7 years ago

May 14, 2019

Major championships are major business for players. Everything gets a second look as pros pull out all the stops in an attempt to cement legacies beyond just racking up tour wins.

Pulling out the stops and a new putter this week is Charley Hoffman — a man known for consistently finding his way up leaderboards at majors, and tinkering with putters along the way. As putters go, what we spotted at Bethpage is a complete one-of-one for Hoffman and it has a lot of tech going one with some throwback flair for fun.

First let’s talk the tech: what we have here is a multi-piece, multi-material head designed to maximize MOI. Looking “under the hood” we can see that it is essentially a Phantom X 8 if the Prototype T8 wasn’t already a dead giveaway. BUT there are some big difference that certainly draw some inspiration from Cameron putters from the past.

We have very soft lines and edges compared to the standard retail model, which has already been pointed out in our forums. Our man on the ground confirmed from “the Hoff” and his caddy that soft rounded lines are what he prefers, and as I have mentioned before, when it comes to high ranking tour players and custom gear, all you really have to do is ask.

The other major difference (see what I did there) is the elimination of the black finish (now I’m two for two in tournament references) and the variation on the standard site line. Dark and black finished putters are always hit or miss with players of all skill levels and from this putter, it seems CH prefers the classic aluminium body vs the anodized one. Speaking of classics and aluminium this brings me back to what I said earlier and how this putter will remind some Cameron faithful about a model found in the wayback machine — the Caliente.

Milled from aluminium and having what we would now consider a rudimentary multi-material construction from the top, the spacing of the lines isn’t exactly the same but the flowing nature of the Prototype quickly bring back memories of this putter and if you consider the scale difference between the T8 and the Caliente the alignment appears very close to the naked eye.

From a looks perspective, I’ve never had a personal preference between standard grey “steel” finished clubs and black ones, and if you were to take a look at my putter and wedge collection that would quickly become apparent. For Mr. Hoffman, a guy known more for his prodigious ball striking than putting, this putter change could make a big difference this week and potentially help him turn the page (there I did it – snuck the whole course name into the article) on his major record.

To see more pics and join the discussion check out the forum thread.

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Ryan Barath

Ryan Barath is a club-fitter & master club builder with more than 17 years of experience working with golfers of all skill levels, including PGA Tour players. He is the former Build Shop Manager & Social Media Coordinator for Modern Golf. He now works independently from his home shop and is a member of advisory panels to a select number of golf equipment manufacturers. You can find Ryan on Twitter and Instagram where he's always willing to chat golf, and share his passion for club building, course architecture and wedge grinding.

8 Comments

Rod Brink

May 15, 2019 at 5:31 pm

That Prototype,the Caliente,was probably born from Ray Cook M1-X…I’m sure Scotty remembers that model.

Reply Report comment
Realist

May 14, 2019 at 10:33 pm

He used the cameron red x for years….anybody catch the similarities….with more moi!?

Reply Report comment
Charles Knox

May 14, 2019 at 9:36 pm

One (perhaps two) other notable difference(s): Significantly less offset with what seems to be a bend at a higher point on the shaft. Not just for how the putter looks soled behind the ball, but also pushes the alignment features slightly left of the stock putter.

Reply Report comment
Brandon Wooley

May 14, 2019 at 9:05 pm

I had that Caliente Grand back in the day. I couldn’t putt with it to save my life. In hindsight I probably shouldn’t have left it in the bag for like 6 years.

Reply Report comment
Ab

May 14, 2019 at 3:02 pm

That is the ugliest Alien-baby looking POS putter I’ve ever seen

Reply Report comment
LoveIt

May 14, 2019 at 11:53 am

Like the putter. Hate Matt Kuchar.

Reply Report comment
- Jack
  
  May 14, 2019 at 1:59 pm
  
  I concur. Kuch is a d-bag
  
  Reply Report comment
- Tommy
  
  May 14, 2019 at 2:34 pm
  
  WTH does this have to do with Kuchar and why vent your hate in public?…..BTW, I’m sure he’s going to lose lots of sleep over it.
  
  Reply Report comment

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Equipment

Interesting clubs at top of bag – GolfWRXers discuss

Published

15 hours ago

Jun 3, 2026

Will Schube

In our forums, users are talking about top of bag setups that are non-traditional or thought-provoking in some way. Original poster @SuperSpurs106 inquired about other members who might use unorthodox set-ups to help with gapping issues or weak spots.

They wrote:

“I currently have a PING G430 driver, TM Qi35 3W and a TM Qi4D 7W. Driver and 7W are fine but can’t get on with my 3W and have always struggling with this club over the years. Thinking of adding a 2H which I know would look odd. Just wondering if anyone else had a weird set up at the top of their bag?”

Our members in the forum have offered up their thoughts and personal experiences with non-traditional top of bag set-ups, and their reasoning for thinking outside of the box to begin with. Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.

BowMain42: “Don’t worry about what “looks” odd. If the club does what you need it to do, it’s the right club.”
scooterhd2: “I cant hit 3 woods either. Thats why I roll with a unicorn XL Hibore 2 wood. 400 cc head at 16 degrees of loft and its just a monster 3 wood off the tee. Off the deck, we are playing the f6 baffler. 5 wood at 41.75 inches and its easy to control.”
phizzy30: “I had driver, 3 metal, 2/4 hybrid once upon a time as a higher ss player. 4 hybrid is gone and in place is a driving iron nowadays. I don’t think what you’re proposing is weird in anyway, however the yardage gap might be glaringly huge between driver and 2 hybrid. What is it about your 3 metal that has got you all messed up? You could always go 4 metal with shorter shaft and see if that works.”

Entire Thread: “Interesting clubs at top of bag”

If you aren’t a member, join us in the GolfWRX forums today!

Equipment

Members of the Mini Driver Club – GolfWRXers discuss

Published

15 hours ago

Jun 3, 2026

Will Schube

In our forums, one user has gone searching for fellow users of a mini driver. In a post, @TightFade asked for other mini driver users to chime in with their weapon of choice, the reason for employing a mini, and what club follows it in the bag.

@TightFade asked:

“What mini are you playing? What spot in the bag did it take over? What’s the next club after it? For me: Elyte mini 13.5. Replacing 3w. Next up club looks like it’ll be 5w.”

Our members in the forum have been sharing their own bag setups featuring the mini driver, and the various reasons they purchased one in the first place. Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.

RCGA: “Ping G430 Max 12* ‘Thriver.’ Next club is a 4w and 2i (I play a weird course).”
JMB3: “R7 at 12.75 with Diamana BB 63s. 3w replacement. Next Club: Elyte Ti 5w at 17*.”
ColdOkieGolf: “R7 15.5 turned down to 13.5 It replaces the 3w. I found it surprisingly easy to hit off the deck, and it’s very rare that I need or want to hit something beyond 250 from the fairway, so next club is my 7w.”
ChaosTheory: “I’m sub-90 MPH with driver. But I’m able to hit DOD. I have been wanting something like the R7 15.5, so I just ordered one. I have a spot in the bag so nothing has to go. But I could see it replacing my trusty 4 wood, which I never use for approach shots. Just tee shots and lay ups. If I drop the 4 wood, I will turn my 7 wood down to ~20 degrees and will have good gaps. I recently tried a thriver build: 12 degree driver turned to 14, with a heavier 44 inch shaft and added head weight. I hit it great. Very accurate and not overly high, but the problem was that it sometimes went as far as a typical drive. And that’s not what I needed. So I will probably turn the 15.5 up to 16.5 or even 17.5. It’s all theoretical at this point. ?”

Entire Thread: “Members of the Mini Driver Club…Check In.”

If you aren’t a member, join us in the GolfWRX forums today!

Whats in the Bag

Chris Gotterup WITB 2026 (June)

Published

15 hours ago

Jun 3, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

Chris Gotterup had >14 clubs in his bag when photographed prior to the Memorial Tournament.

Drivers: TaylorMade Qi4D (8 degrees), Ping G440 LST (9 degrees @8), Ping G440 LST (7.5 degrees)
Shafts: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Grey 6.5 TX 70 g, Project X HZRDUS T1100 Handcrafted 6.5 TX 70 g, Project X HZRDUS Smoke Grey 6.5 TX 70 g