Bill Vogeney—or “Vog” as he’s known in enthusiast circles—is a long-time Scotty Cameron collector with an extensive collection of rare and hand-crafted putters from Scotty’s early career. From time to time, we will feature articles from Vog in this new series to provide context, history and interesting back-story to Scotty’s evolution as a putter maker.
Going back to the early 1990s, Scotty Cameron’s putters on the PGA Tour were specifically designed and constructed to adjust to changes in the professional game. Advances in agronomy allowed greens to be mowed to lower heights; the result was much faster greens. I’ve seen articles suggesting the average green speed on tour in the 1980s was 7 to 8 on the Stimpmeter. Scotty’s use of soft carbon steel and perfectly milled flat faces created a softer feel and a greater level of precision to compensate.
Yet some of the best players in the world were again looking for a softer feel just a few years later. Solid-core golf balls were gaining in popularity and greens kept getting faster. By late 1996 Scotty had introduced the first of his Teryllium insert putters to the PGA Tour and had immediate success with a variety of players including the world’s former #1 who used it to win on tour in 1997.
But why Teryllium? Other manufacturers used different polymers or non-metallic inserts; why not Scotty? From my perspective as a long-time collector, these other inserts never looked like they were high quality. Years ago, Scotty relayed to some collectors a story from his studio about a former #1 player in the world who was in town, looking for solutions. During most of his career he used another brand of putter, one with a polymer insert, even though Scotty had made him several different putters to try. While doing some side-by-side testing of putters, Scotty couldn’t help but notice something: a rather harsh sound from the player’s primary putter. Scotty could hear it; the player couldn’t because he had become used to the sound. An inspection of the putter showed the insert was cracked. If the insert was cracked enough to be detectable to Scotty’s ear, how badly was the crack impacting performance?
Above: This might be the earliest Teryllium insert Cameron in my collection and perhaps the most unique: a 1996 U.S. Amateur Winner in stainless steel. The Amateur that year was captured with a Newport Pro Platinum tour putter, and Scotty made 960 examples to celebrate. He also made 20 examples in stainless steel, and perhaps two or three with this Terylllium insert—perhaps as a proof of concept. Notice how the cavity differs from the cavity in the production version of the Teryllium insert shown below. We can also see the 32 dots in the cavity—each one for Scotty’s age when he initially envisioned the design.
Above: Shown above are some examples of Scotty’s early Teryllium insert putters: a Newport “sole stamp” used to win at Augusta in 1997, a very special Newport 2 with the Augusta National logo on the toe and a Newport Tour Pro Platinum “Plus”. I love these early Terylliums because the fine milling on the face is so gorgeous and delicate. I also think they’re great collectibles and should be in everyone’s collection.
Above: Here are two prototype Teryllium putters made for the PGA Tour that never made it to production with an insert: these inserts were done by hand! Since 1997 I think I’ve seen less than a handful of these tour prototypes where Scotty continued to experiment with different head shapes using the insert.
Above: Just for fun, here are two Teryllium tour putters made for a couple of multiple major championship winners. I love the interesting patina that has developed on the “P.M.” putter; as a collector I really like when the inserts turn dark so I never try to clean one.
Above: In 2007, Scotty did a run of 2007 each of the Newport 2 and 2.5 with a revised insert design with black pearl finish to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the original Teryllium models. The T10 models are putters I tend to favor as a collectible, rather than a putter to game, because of the beauty of the black pearl finish. The finish has been discontinued by Scotty and finding mint, original examples are hard to find—even I don’t have one!
Above: Shown above is one of Scotty’s “Button Back” putters from 2008. The Button Back putter has become legendary among collectors and consumers. A Button Back has been used to win multiple major championships, which has clearly driven demand by collectors, yet they’ve seen a lot of “bag time” by people who just want to use them. The Button Back is also the first Teryllium with interchangeable weights which adds to the appeal. Golfers who like a heavier head and wanted the Teryllium feel prior to the Button Back had to resort to tactics like lead tape!
Above: Shown above are two Newport 2 T22 tour putters. 2019 brought us the T22 Teryllium, celebrating 22 years since the original models. Notice the 32 dots on the back; Scotty brought back the look that captured the attention of so many golfers and turbo-charged the “Scottymania” craze.
Above: Here are two versions of the Champions Choice Newport 2: my personal gamer with Circle Ts and one made for the retail market. In 2021, Scotty brought us the Champions Choice line of Teryllium putters in the Button Back style. While Scotty has given us several generations of Teryllium inserts, the refined shape of the Champions Choice putters (especially the Newport 2), along with the interchangeable weights make this model the epitome of the Teryllium putters as far as I’m concerned. This version just fits my eye with the lower toe profile and slimmed down lines.
Above: Many Cameron fans may not realize that around the same time as Scotty introduced the Teryllium insert, Scotty was also testing a sterling silver insert. He produced a very limited run of putters for the Japanese market, the Cameron and Company Newports, with three different neck configurations. Shown above is a version of this putter made for a special event at The Estancia Club. Scotty also produced a small run of Newports with a sterling silver insert for the 1997 World Cup at Kiawah Island that is also pictured above. Notice how the sterling silver, once tarnished, looks very much like Terylllium!
Above: Scotty also has utilized aluminum in his inserts as well. Going back to Scotty’s early experience in making mallets out of aluminum, these inserts appeared as early as the Detour line of putters, were used in several different My Girl putters and the 2008 Holiday putter, and then extensively in several different putters in the mid-2010’s including the Select and the Golo lines. The putters shown above are two different My Girl putters, (with two different anodized colors to the inserts) a Detour Newport 2 Tour and a Tour Concept 2 with blue insert.
Above: Finally, Scotty’s Studio Style insert putters, first introduced in 2005, gave consumers and collectors what they had been clamoring for since the world’s former #1 player started winning at a record pace with his Newport 2 GSS: a stainless steel, rust resistant head with a German stainless steel insert. Shown above are several examples! While the Studio Style line came out several years before Scotty’s interchangeable weights, they were available in three different head weights, 330-gram, 340-gram and 350-gram and matching lengths between 35” and 33.” The GSS insert also showed up in the Red X mallet line.
So, what’s in store for 2025 and beyond? While I have no inside knowledge, if I had to make a prediction, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Teryllium insert show up in different head shapes. Going back to last year’s re-introduction of the Catalina in the B3 limited edition putters, the reason for the Catalina was to produce a putter with the higher MOI close to a mallet, but with blade looks, so it makes sense to see a Catalina Button Back. I’d also love to see a longneck Newport 2 with an insert as well. As Scotty likes to say, “you never know!”