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It's been a while since we posted up some Gold's Factory eye candy. Gold's is busier than ever with many many modifications, refinishes and custom created putters as well as wedges in the works. Every job is unique and for each specific customer which is why they haven't even had time to any one off models lately.  Very popular has been custom neck work on Scotty Camerons as well as refinishes, custom face milling and extra weight.

Tario (aka gocchin) joined Tourspecgolf back in 2008 after spending over a decade in technology and business operation roles at a major Canadian financial institution. Before joining TSG and following his dream of moving to Japan, Tario and Chris (aka Tourspecgolfer) hit it off though their similar passions for Japanese culture. Chris hired Tario to manage TSG online operations, sales and marketing. While those are Tario's primary responsibilities, he has also taken up the role of blogger and custom club tester and fitter along the way. Tario's hobbies include golf (of course), gadgets and technology, cars, Japanese pop culture and idols, photography, sweets and walking the dog.

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Gold's Factory sent over a couple if their new Trinity series putters featuring the new Next Generation Premium Zone Milling. they are for a photo shoot I'm doing however it was a good opportunity to also test out the new milling for the first time and see the new Trinity weights and inserts. The two models I received are both based off of Gold's Factory's Anser No.2 head made from premium JIS SUS303 steel (also known as GSS in some circles). As with all Gold's putters, they can be fully customized including lie, loft, head weight, type of milling, finish, weighting, engraving, types of necks etc. The sky is the limit. This is an intricate milling process with the cnc machine guided by HAND.

Compared to the original two Red and Blue Trinity prototypes, these two are far more clean and simple with only two weights in the sole and inserts in the cavity and face heel. Head weights are 350g but Trinity models can go as high as 380g or so depending on the type and number of weights used. Each weight is CNC machined right at Gold's Factory on order and come in a variety of designs and sizes. The Trinity putters also feature the tri-level sole we've all seen on Tiger's Newport 2, and the brushed non reflective satin finish for that pure and simple look.

This was my first time rolling the ball with the new Next Generation Premium Zone Milling.  Premium Zone milling was first introduced on the now defunct G-Field's Premium Zone putter about 6 years ago (hence the name Premium Zone). PZ milling is known to give great forward roll and super soft feel. Master Sasaya further enhanced the milling angles by using overlapping half circles and zig zag patterns within those circles. These milling marks are at similar depths and angles to the original horizontal PZ Milling so the result is just as good forward roll and just as soft (if not softer) feel PLUS now reduced side spin.

Feel is very subjective and one of the most debated topics is the feel of putters. Soft or crisp? Too soft? Too Hard? Not responsive, not enough feel? I do like a soft feeling putter but not to the point where I get no feedback. Some carbon steel putters and insert putters can be this way, too soft that you really can't tell where on the face you hit it. The great thing about SUS303 is that it has a certain crispness to it and the Trinity putters have that combination of soft but crisp feel thanks to the face milling and material complimenting each other. Putting the ball is very responsive and with minimal skidding the putter face is great at promoting forward roll. At 350g, these two Trinity's have great balance of direction and distance control. I tried putting with different balls which all have different cover firmness to see what kind of feel I would get from the Next Gen PZ Milling and every ball was responsive and produced the similar soft but crisp feel that I like. Hitting the putter off center is much more muted so you can clearly tell when you pure a putt simply by the sound and feel.

As always Gold's can create your own custom putter or do some serious modifications for your existing putter.  The sky is the limit for what is probably the most used club in your bag! Check out some of the one of a kind putters Gold's has or base models which you can use to design your dream stick!

Tario (aka gocchin) joined Tourspecgolf back in 2008 after spending over a decade in technology and business operation roles at a major Canadian financial institution. Before joining TSG and following his dream of moving to Japan, Tario and Chris (aka Tourspecgolfer) hit it off though their similar passions for Japanese culture. Chris hired Tario to manage TSG online operations, sales and marketing. While those are Tario's primary responsibilities, he has also taken up the role of blogger and custom club tester and fitter along the way. Tario's hobbies include golf (of course), gadgets and technology, cars, Japanese pop culture and idols, photography, sweets and walking the dog.

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Gold's Factory is off to a great start this summer with special features in both Weekly Golf Digest and Golf Waggle. Two of Japan's top golf publications showed of works from Master Sasaya.  In Waggle magazine (Rory on the cover), Waggle uses a Gold's Factory Blue Trinity model to demonstrate putter length.  In Weekly Golf Digest (Lee Westwood cover), Gold's Factory is part of a 6 page article on customizing putters and having heavier putters with shorter lengths.  They talk about Gold's Factory as THE place to get custom putter modifications in Japan and showcase Next Generation Premium Zone milling for soft feel and better roll as well as custom center shaft welding for Fastback Camerons and tungsten weighting for increases in putter head weight. We look forward to seeing more Gold's Factory works in more publications this year!

Tario (aka gocchin) joined Tourspecgolf back in 2008 after spending over a decade in technology and business operation roles at a major Canadian financial institution. Before joining TSG and following his dream of moving to Japan, Tario and Chris (aka Tourspecgolfer) hit it off though their similar passions for Japanese culture. Chris hired Tario to manage TSG online operations, sales and marketing. While those are Tario's primary responsibilities, he has also taken up the role of blogger and custom club tester and fitter along the way. Tario's hobbies include golf (of course), gadgets and technology, cars, Japanese pop culture and idols, photography, sweets and walking the dog.

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Gold's Factory stopped all "domestic" orders since the earthquake and tsunami impacted Japan.  April 1st they will resume business as usual within Japan. (international orders were not affected) . Master Sasaya will also be  announcing a completely new series called "The Trinity".  It's composed of 3 different models the Arc Reactor, SEAL, and Orbit around G. Interesting names huh.   The Arc-Reactor features colored inserts produced using vibration absorbing aluminum. Usually its done by coloring anodized aluminum but these were done in a translucent material and color.  "The Orbit Around G" design uses a different insert one with the famous circle G inside and 5 holes in orbit,  The SEAL aka bulls eye insert will feature a  bulls eye tungsten style.  Just about every color can be ordered.

Pray For Japan Edition? I  Noticed an ingot produced although nothing much was said about it,  It say's "PRAY FOR JAPAN" on it and I think it would be an awesome idea to auction off one of these  for charity.  It could be a one of a kind model with the entire proceeds going to a Japan Relief charity.

Would you like to chip toward the expense of the putter?  We can have it produced and then auctioned off on the bay?  I think I could get Master Sasaya to provide it at a charitable price.  If you are interested in taking part of this please email me at Sales@tourspegolf.com, Any sized donation is appreciated even a dollar and this is a way for all of us to be involved with the creation of a very special one of a kind putter. Sound off in the comments section so I can count those interested, I'll enroll Master Sasaya then and after making a donation please sound off in the comments section again to help me design it.

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Shown in the Video above is Master Sasaya adding a sightline to the the Odyssey Black Series #9.  This is the same setup that Ryo Ishikawa uses and has become a very popular request in Japan.

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Here are some images of the Bettinardi Studio B SB-10 Prototype Tour Stock putter available in the TSG Proshop. There are still a handful left for those interested and it comes with your choice of head cover and grip as seen in the product listing.  The standard specifications are 3* loft 71* lie with a square face angle precision milled of soft carbon steel.

There are also shaft options from the stepped standard true temper shaft to the step less or tour heavy 125g shaft.  Custom lengths are available and custom loft and lie can be ordered.

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Maruman always dares to be different, from using their own Fullerene Titanium in drivers to creating their own shafts with a Ti mix, they've always tried hard to distinguish their brand from others. They announced earlier this week they would be releasing a new line of Majesty Putters. Majesty is their premium executive line made for those who desire the best in materials and quality.

While most carbon steel putters are made from either S25C or S18C steel, the Majesty line is made from S18C. Three different models, a blade/pin style and two mallets, are machined on order to customer spec'ed lie and weight (depending on length).   Maruman stresses that the S18C provides the best in soft feel and touch when putting.  Each putter is CNC machined in Japan from a block of S18C steel as a one piece putter. The putter is machined to the proper specs as requested by the customer, ie the lie angle is NOT bent afterwards.  The putter is then hand finished and polished by Maruman's craftsmen using an Ion Plated chrome finish which keeps the putter looking new and high end and protects it from scratches.

Because of the custom nature of these putters, lie angle can be anywhere from a very flat 64* up to a very upright 75*. Length can be anywhere from 32 to 37".   A special stepless Majesty shaft and made for Majesty by Winn grip are used. Maruman has also pre-made a few standard spec models at 34" and 71* lie for those who don't want to wait. Look for the product listing soon in the pro shop!

Tario (aka gocchin) joined Tourspecgolf back in 2008 after spending over a decade in technology and business operation roles at a major Canadian financial institution. Before joining TSG and following his dream of moving to Japan, Tario and Chris (aka Tourspecgolfer) hit it off though their similar passions for Japanese culture. Chris hired Tario to manage TSG online operations, sales and marketing. While those are Tario's primary responsibilities, he has also taken up the role of blogger and custom club tester and fitter along the way. Tario's hobbies include golf (of course), gadgets and technology, cars, Japanese pop culture and idols, photography, sweets and walking the dog.

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Taylormade is about to release 11 new putters based on the core classic models. The "New" models feature a AGSI-R insert made of Surlyn an Ionoma polymer insert for soft feel producing smooth and consistent roll with it's AGSI grooves. The Core Classics feature a soft SUS304 body finished in flat non reflective flat gray finish.

11 head shapes will be available including:

Daytona 1-02
Daytona 8-02
Sebring 1-02
Sebring 3-02
Indy 1-02
Indy 4-02
Monte Carlo 7-02
Monte Carlo Center Shaft
Fontana 7-02
Maranello 8-01
Maranello 1-02

All models will be available in 33, 34 and 35" lengths and feature 4* of loft. Look for them in the pro shop this weekend!

Tario (aka gocchin) joined Tourspecgolf back in 2008 after spending over a decade in technology and business operation roles at a major Canadian financial institution. Before joining TSG and following his dream of moving to Japan, Tario and Chris (aka Tourspecgolfer) hit it off though their similar passions for Japanese culture. Chris hired Tario to manage TSG online operations, sales and marketing. While those are Tario's primary responsibilities, he has also taken up the role of blogger and custom club tester and fitter along the way. Tario's hobbies include golf (of course), gadgets and technology, cars, Japanese pop culture and idols, photography, sweets and walking the dog.

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There are two schools of thought on putter head weight.  The first is that a heavier putter head works best on faster greens because it add's stability to the shorter stroke that is needed.

The other theory is that lighter putter head weight is best for faster greens because it gives the golfer more delicate control.

I am on the side of heavier headed putters are better for slower greens because slower greens usually have longer grass and more bumpy's and the heavier head puts a more powerful forward roll allowing the ball to push through and forward.

A recent issue of Golf Digest states that "a lighter putter under 340 grams works better on slower greens because you need to swing the putter head more".

I began looking at Japan Tour Player bags and noticed they desire lighter weight putter heads for faster greens.  On the PGA Tour it's the same, not many 355+ gram head weights around. 340-350 is the norm. Please sound off in the poll and state your opinion in the comments section...

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

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As many already know Gold's Factory does many Scotty Cameron putter tune up's in Japan.  People actually send in their circle T's for major modification.  Some Cameron fan's fully trick out their GSS (German Stainless Steel) putters as well.

We already know that GSS is a version of 303 steel similar to what other putter makers such as Gold's Factory use for many of their putter models.

Master Sasaya wanted to find out exactly what the differences were between J.I.S grade SUS303 from his supplier and Scotty's GSS German Stainless 303.

The results of the testing out of a U.S based laboratory  indeed show they are both 303.

The main and most important minerals to take note of here are Nickel and Chromium.  These in higher amounts produce the rewarding feel people hold dear in SUS303 putters. It's interesting to see that both Nickel & Chromium are higher in the JIS 303 vs GSS303.

This test was not intended to criticize GSS Scotty Cameron quality but rather show how J.I.S Japan Made quality is to the world's highest standards.

Discuss this topic in the TSG Forum..Click Here!

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The Gold's Factory Tiger Woods Tribute putter has been a hot seller for TSG in recent months.  Master Sasaya has created a new version that includes adjustable weights on the sole.  These should be available in the next week in the TSG ProShop so keep an eye out. ( There is no weight adjustment being offered on this model, these are set in place weights that can only be removed by Gold's Factory). In the images below it shows some different translucent paint options at no extra charge.

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Odyssey Japan introduces their all new White Ice iX putter lineup for Japan for 2010. As requested by Japanese touring pros, the new White Ice iX uses the firmer Tour Prototype Insert for more feedback and a crisper feel. Unlike the Black Series iX and White Hot Tour iX, the insert face area is larger like the White Ice insert creating more forgiveness across the face both taller and longer heel to toe and is more suited towards the average golfer wanting the firmer feel but more forgiveness on off center hits.

The White Ice iX is also finished in the tour prefered Black PVD finish.  33 and 34" lengths feature a heavier 355g head while the 35" model features a 340g head.

The White Ice iX is available in #5 mallet, #5CS center shafted mallet, #5CH crank hosel mallet, and #9 L shaped putter.