Bullseye question

I have a question fo all Bullseye experts--- I have 3 that look the same but are different sort of. All of them are marked Standard. 2 of them have the standard aged Patina. One of them has a honey gold color to it and it has been out in the building long enough to patina up but it has not. It also has a satin fluted shaft. For some reason this one feels softer to me than the other ones and I have sensitive feel. Is the odd one some sort of different material?

i think i remember someone mentioning that mixes on the alloys didn't always come out the same, so maybe that is the case of why they feel different...

> @tlhorsh said:

> i think i remember someone mentioning that mixes on the alloys didn't always come out the same, so maybe that is the case of why they feel different...

Ok thanks now I had heard that for years on 8802 even before I came on WRX. In fact I heard that on the 8802s before the internet was even invented--- Had never heard it on WRX or anywhere else about Bullseyes

I own a hundred and have never seen two alike , scotty cameron told me once he agrees.....metal blend , shaft diameter ,thickness wasn't always the same either in the old days STU

Thanks rg---- I was not a Bullseye fan back in the day nor an 8802 fan--- I was more of a Ironmaster fan------ in the last few years since I have been working in a scrapyard I have came across quite a few of them--- I have probably given 5 or 6 away. I darn sure was not going to let them go to the shredder to be destroyed. The first time I saw this one it was that honey gold color still is and I have had it a year or 2. One of my other ones has a site line on the top> I thought that was maybe a homemade job until today. A bud of mine has a golf shop on this end of the beach and sells a lot of used stuff. Saw one in his shop with the same site line. Another one had a thicker blade and the 3rd one was a flange model. I may get the flange one. I will do some kind of trade deal with him I am sure--- I putted with the honey gold one Sunday morning before and after church and again this afternoon. Love the feel and softness of it. I will more than likely try to game it this weekend. As bad as I have been putting the last year or so I can not do worse than with any of the nearly 100 putters I own. I know Sunday morning I was getting some odd looks from the tourist golfers with their greatest and latest spaceship on a stick putters with Mack exhaust pipe grips on them. I was darn sure canning putts with that thing. Can not wait to get it into the real line of fire on the course. And I would have to agree with what Scotty told you from what I have observed the last few days. One of my old man's cronies was probably the best money putter I have ever saw and he putted with one for over 40 years. Another thing I figured out growing up in the South on Bermuda greens I was wristy with a pop type stroke. I went back to it with the Bullseye because when those were invented it was a wrist and pop game. I have gotten away from my basics stuff in recent years trying the SBST type stroke instead of my arc type wristy pop stroke

stu,, i have known a couple money players that used bullseyes and they did very well , i have developed the belief that from where i live in virginia all the way to the tip of florida the greens are typically sticky ....[.best description ive got}.....and you can get the ball on top of the grass better with the old bullseyes ...looking in my stash , i have one that is more of a honey color also , pretty amazed i never noticed before

Yup, I’d say there must be some differences in the metals

> @becalmbecool said:

> Yup, I’d say there must be some differences in the metals

>

>

My honey colored one is a little lighter than yours. The one you have with the site line is identical to the one I have and the one I saw at my friend's shop. The thicker one you have is the same thickness as the one I also saw at the shop but the one in the shop did not have the offset and flow neck

This discussion has me looking over my small "assemblage" of Bullseyes. Yeah, they're a variety of different colorations. Hadn't paid any attention to this before. Ironically, picked up a Titleist Bullseye Standard Flange Offset putter on Monday. It has a decidedly more honey colored hue to it. Has a "Flare Tip Satin" label still visible on the shaft. Found a couple of Titleist Standard "SC" Bullseyes a couple of years ago that had the same shaft. (Both were promptly sold off to the Scotty Slappies for a tidy ROI). Only Bullseyes I've run across that have the satin shaft. All the other Acushnet Bullseyes are chrome. Except for one oldie that has a black plated (painted?) shaft.

@"BIG STU". Wonder if the thicker, non-offset blade one that you saw at the shop was a Heavy Blade (HB)? Perhaps my favorite Bullseye to mess around with. Have one in inventory and practiced with it a lot last year. When my putting stroke was in the crapper. Helped with smoothing it out. Was having a tendency to "stab" at rather than releasing through the ball. No faulty putting strokes allowed when utilizing a Bullseye.

Fella I did not even pick up the thick one to see. But I can subscribe to what you said---- My Honey colored one has the Flare Tipped Satin Shaft because it says so (LOL) My other 2 are flare tipped and all of them are fluted. If I get time this week I may slide back down there and look if not Saturday morning.

colour difference was due to them made with different addition of alloy for either manganese-bronze or a softer tin-brass, with the brass tending to stay" bright".

There use to be a website called Bullseyeputters.com (IIRC) that is now defunct. Had a very good history of Bullseyes, especially the early pre-Acushnet ones. According to the story, John Reuter Jr. tested various brass alloys in search of a formulation that provided a "just right" feel to his putters. Likely in conjunction with the foundry doing the castings. The early Bullseyes were cast by the Mueller Brass Company in Port Huron, MI. There was also a Mueller Brass LTD in Sarnia, Ontario, just across the river from PH. Perhaps they were cast at both locations. Would think that different metallurgical formulations of brass would result in different colorations to the head and feel off the face.

Again based on my less than good memory, nothing further was mentioned about castings post-Acushnet acquisition other than it was moved elsewhere (want to say Arizona, but not sure exactly). And to what extent alloy experimentation was still taking place. Would surmise not as much as before. Further, a professional golfer (Johnny Miller?) remarked that the brass used in old(er) Bullseyes felt better than the more contemporary versions. A story not unlike the original 8802 metals offering a subjective improved feel off the face.

Would differ to others such as Rex or Tad that have a much more comprehensive knowledge on old Bullseyes, rather than my purely anecdotal information.

Secondary thought, while on the topic. What made fluted putter shafts different? Other than the obvious. They seemed to be used rather extensively on older classic putters. Bullseyes, various 8802 style Wilsons, a Mac JN Muirfield and Maxfli TM-2 in inventory. These days, one could not obtain a "new" fluted shaft anywhere, to the best of my knowledge. Totally disappeared.

> @Fellaheen51 said:

> There use to be a website called Bullseyeputters.com (IIRC) that is now defunct. Had a very good history of Bullseyes, especially the early pre-Acushnet ones. According to the story, John Reuter Jr. tested various brass alloys in search of a formulation that provided a "just right" feel to his putters. Likely in conjunction with the foundry doing the castings. The early Bullseyes were cast by the Mueller Brass Company in Port Huron, MI. There was also a Mueller Brass LTD in Sarnia, Ontario, just across the river from PH. Perhaps they were cast at both locations. Would think that different metallurgical formulations of brass would result in different colorations to the head and feel off the face.

>

> Again based on my less than good memory, nothing further was mentioned about castings post-Acushnet acquisition other than it was moved elsewhere (want to say Arizona, but not sure exactly). And to what extent alloy experimentation was still taking place. Would surmise not as much as before. Further, a professional golfer (Johnny Miller?) remarked that the brass used in old(er) Bullseyes felt better than the more contemporary versions. A story not unlike the original 8802 metals offering a subjective improved feel off the face.

>

> Would differ to others such as Rex or Tad that have a much more comprehensive knowledge on old Bullseyes, rather than my purely anecdotal information.

>

> Secondary thought, while on the topic. What made fluted putter shafts different? Other than the obvious. They seemed to be used rather extensively on older classic putters. Bullseyes, various 8802 style Wilsons, a Mac JN Muirfield and Maxfli TM-2 in inventory. These days, one could not obtain a "new" fluted shaft anywhere, to the best of my knowledge. Totally disappeared.

>

>

>

The difference in metals would certainly explain the color and feel then. As far as the fluted shaft they were used on some TP Mills Spaldings too in those days. I hope Rex or Mr Moore see this and weigh in.

> @rgolf06 said:

> stu,, i have known a couple money players that used bullseyes and they did very well , i have developed the belief that from where i live in virginia all the way to the tip of florida the greens are typically sticky ....[.best description ive got}.....**and you can get the ball on top of the grass better with the old bullseyes** ...looking in my stash , i have one that is more of a honey color also , pretty amazed i never noticed before

>

I remember reading back in the late 70s/early 80s that Bullseyes had 5 degrees of loft. Don't know if the Cameron versions were made that way or not.

> @Shallowface said:

> > @rgolf06 said:

> > stu,, i have known a couple money players that used bullseyes and they did very well , i have developed the belief that from where i live in virginia all the way to the tip of florida the greens are typically sticky ....[.best description ive got}.....**and you can get the ball on top of the grass better with the old bullseyes** ...looking in my stash , i have one that is more of a honey color also , pretty amazed i never noticed before

> >

> I remember reading back in the late 70s/early 80s that Bullseyes had 5 degrees of loft. Don't know if the Cameron versions were made that way or not.

>

Never knew that tidbit--- I will put mine on the jig and take the protractor this weekend and see

I had been wanting a flanged Bullseye and today I found one --- Where else but the bins at work----- It is marked Acushnet 1-AF--- Has the fluted shaft and is darker colored---- Someone old school and I judge maybe a player in his own right because it has a rotted Pingman grip on it. Has a shaft band with the guy's name and Capital City CC Atlanta GA. Also it does have a slight offset neck and is heavier than my Honey colored one or any of my bullseyes for that matter. I worked all day today so I am to tired to roll it but maybe tomorrow

STU-

As you know, not too long ago Johnny Miller called the Bullseye the "best putter ever made."

Made in 1948 in Sault Ste Marie, MI during a heatwave, John Reuter Jr wanted to "make a putter that swung as evenly as the pendulum on a clock." Supposedly those original "Pat Pend" Bullseye models used a different brass formula, as well as a different shaft from True Temper. As your photo shows, there are differences and, just like MacGregor Ironmasters and Wilson 8802s, what model feels great to one may not feel as good to another. In 1955 Jack Fleck, using a Bullseye, beat Ben Hogan for the US Open at Olympic in a playoff. In '67, Jack Nicklaus wanted to use Deane Bemans Bullseye for the US Open at Baltusrol, but Beman basically said "**** NO!". Another pro did give Jack a Bullseye, which he then painted white to lessen the glare, and "White Fang" allowed Nicklaus to win the '67 US Open, sinking a putt on 18 to beat Ben Hogans record. (Sports Illustrated Cover) Nicklaus was playing with Arnold Palmer in the final round. Palmer had his chance at the US Open record one year earlier in '66 at that same Olympic Club, but he lost to Billy Casper in a playoff. Golf is like that.

It's been written that Scotty Cameron had acquired over 500 Bullseyes in his hoard when he set out to remake the SC Bullseye for Titleist. Steve Jones used an SC Bullseye to win the 1996 US Open at Oakland Hills over Tom Lehman and Davis Love III. Bullseyes have won US Opens in 5 different decades 50s-90s. By the way, a 12 year old John Reuter asked Harry Vardon if he could caddie for him. Vardon said yes. Reuter said Vardon was the best golfer he'd ever seen. If you play golf, you should own a Bullseye.

Rex thanks a million for the history lesson and education. I knew as always you would come through. Like I said early on I did not care for them but for now I am a convert. I know they are helping me get my feel and stroke back.

Footnote: On the flanged one I found yesterday the previous owner must have been really tall or belly putted with it because it is 37" long. I have to replacee the grip anyhow so I will clean off the old tape and look for a shaft extender.

Congrats on finding a flanged Bullseye. Priced right also. By your comment, you making it into a long putter (adding a shaft extension)?

Found this one last summer, at a thrift shop, for a buck. Quite beat up (i.e. well played), some rust on the shaft, still has the original leather grip on it in need of some refurbishment. Pat Pend Bullseye on the sole. The head shape, while familiar, has differences compared with another old(er) Bullseye I have. Slightly taller vertical height, pointed at the top of the toe, the shape of the heel design is quite different dimensionally. And some differences to the shape and length of the fluting. Pre-Acushnet (1961?), but don't know how old. Been curious if it goes back to the Sault Ste. Marie era. As a Michiganian, that would be kinda cool.

> @Fellaheen51 said:

> Congrats on finding a flanged Bullseye. Priced right also. By your comment, you making it into a long putter (adding a shaft extension)?

>

> Found this one last summer, at a thrift shop, for a buck. Quite beat up (i.e. well played), some rust on the shaft, still has the original leather grip on it in need of some refurbishment. Pat Pend Bullseye on the sole. The head shape, while familiar, has differences compared with another old(er) Bullseye I have. Slightly taller vertical height, pointed at the top of the toe, the shape of the heel design is quite different dimensionally. And some differences to the shape and length of the fluting. Pre-Acushnet (1961?), but don't know how old. Been curious if it goes back to the Sault Ste. Marie era. As a Michiganian, that would be kinda cool.

>

>

Naaw I am not making it a belly putter. It was already 37" I figured the previous owner was extremely tall or tried to use it as a belly putter. I did pull it down this afternoon after work. The Pingman grip was rotted to begin with. Man that thing had 6 wraps of tape ended up burning that mess off. As I suspected it had a 2" shaft extender that went at least another 2" down in the shaft. Heated it a bit with Mr Propane and popped it out with a pair of channel lock pliers. Put it back to 35" like the rest of my herd. Of course I put a brand new Pingman grip on that I had laying around. That ought to set off the Ping fanboys. Maybe if it does not rain I will try it tomorrow afternoon

Oopps! Misinterpreted your extension comment in the prior post. You had a suspicion there was an extension installed, not add an extension. Duh.

A classic Pingman is great grip to use on a Bullseye. Since I've now exhausted my supply of OG Pro Only's, the Pingman is a close substitute. Put a round Lamkin PermaWrap grip on the Heavy Blade as an experiment. Kinda like it, allows me to manipulate the club face for practicing head alignment without a flat surface of a grip interfering.

I am also a late Bullseye convert. Lost my feel with the odyssey two ball and replaced it with one of my Bullseye putters. It didn't take too long for my distance control and confidence to return. I've got 15 Bullseye's and never paid much attention to the patina, but upon inspection today noticed they're all different shades. I buy them anytime I see them at GW along with Spalding TPM and Ram Zebra and..........it never stops does it?

> @Fellaheen51 said:

> Oopps! Misinterpreted your extension comment in the prior post. You had a suspicion there was an extension installed, not add an extension. Duh.

>

> A classic Pingman is great grip to use on a Bullseye. Since I've now exhausted my supply of OG Pro Only's, the Pingman is a close substitute. Put a round Lamkin PermaWrap grip on the Heavy Blade as an experiment. Kinda like it, allows me to manipulate the club face for practicing head alignment without a flat surface of a grip interfering.

>

Yep the Pingman is the best subsitute for the old Pro Only putter grips------ You know this day in time it is hard to find a standard sized old school putter grip made out of "rubber"----- I do have a Lamkin old school style on the honey colored one. I refer to the "Pingman" grip as an old school bare balls grip. I have an uncanny feel and I think I was loosing my feel because of some of these newer grips

> @smorg said:

> I am also a late Bullseye convert. Lost my feel with the odyssey two ball and replaced it with one of my Bullseye putters. It didn't take too long for my distance control and confidence to return. I've got 15 Bullseye's and never paid much attention to the patina, but upon inspection today noticed they're all different shades. I buy them anytime I see them at GW along with Spalding TPM and Ram Zebra and..........it never stops does it?

>

>

I get a run on putters in the bins--- For a while I ran across quite a few Spalding TPMs some of them I can putt with some I can not. I had a run on Bullseyes and saved them--- I gave about 3 or 4 of them away in the past. The honey colored one with the satin shaft I liked from the first moment I spotted it in a bin. What amazed me about the flanged one was that it was in a bin with a bunch of cast club junk. Lately all of the putters I have seen were of the Wally World cast junk variety.

> @"BIG STU" said:

> > @Fellaheen51 said:

> > Oopps! Misinterpreted your extension comment in the prior post. You had a suspicion there was an extension installed, not add an extension. Duh.

> >

> > A classic Pingman is great grip to use on a Bullseye. Since I've now exhausted my supply of OG Pro Only's, the Pingman is a close substitute. Put a round Lamkin PermaWrap grip on the Heavy Blade as an experiment. Kinda like it, allows me to manipulate the club face for practicing head alignment without a flat surface of a grip interfering.

> >

>

> Yep the Pingman is the best subsitute for the old Pro Only putter grips------ You know this day in time it is hard to find a standard sized old school putter grip made out of "rubber"----- I do have a Lamkin old school style on the honey colored one. I refer to the "Pingman" grip as an old school bare balls grip. I have an uncanny feel and I think I was loosing my feel because of some of these newer grips

Yep. Don't even mess around with other grips anymore. Any and all old school putters get a Pingman. They just feel "right". I play old(er) Pings with some regularity and they naturally get a Pingman. One other factor that I never considered, until the realization. Many, if not most, of these old school putters have a light head weight. Installing a heavier grip on one makes them feel even lighter (i.e. decreasing swing weight effect). The Pingman is one of the lightest grips out there at 58g. Never thought about this until I installed a PP58 midsize (80g) on my Zing 2 and it didn't feel right. Reinstalled the Pingman and back to normal.

Used the PP58 for the opposite effect on my frontline "fanged" mallet gamer with a 370g head. Wanted to lighten up the feel a bit from the stock 62g AVS PP58 grip (POS Winn). All of this has nothing to do with the Bullseye topic at hand. Inspired, placed the newly scrounged "honey" O-Set Flange Bullseye in the bag for todays shoot-a-bout (if it stops raining). Shock the lads by pulling out the old Bullseye.

> @Fellaheen51 said:

> > @"BIG STU" said:

> > > @Fellaheen51 said:

> > > Oopps! Misinterpreted your extension comment in the prior post. You had a suspicion there was an extension installed, not add an extension. Duh.

> > >

> > > A classic Pingman is great grip to use on a Bullseye. Since I've now exhausted my supply of OG Pro Only's, the Pingman is a close substitute. Put a round Lamkin PermaWrap grip on the Heavy Blade as an experiment. Kinda like it, allows me to manipulate the club face for practicing head alignment without a flat surface of a grip interfering.

> > >

> >

> > Yep the Pingman is the best subsitute for the old Pro Only putter grips------ You know this day in time it is hard to find a standard sized old school putter grip made out of "rubber"----- I do have a Lamkin old school style on the honey colored one. I refer to the "Pingman" grip as an old school bare balls grip. I have an uncanny feel and I think I was loosing my feel because of some of these newer grips

>

> Yep. Don't even mess around with other grips anymore. Any and all old school putters get a Pingman. They just feel "right". I play old(er) Pings with some regularity and they naturally get a Pingman. One other factor that I never considered, until the realization. Many, if not most, of these old school putters have a light head weight. Installing a heavier grip on one makes them feel even lighter (i.e. decreasing swing weight effect). The Pingman is one of the lightest grips out there at 58g. Never thought about this until I installed a PP58 midsize (80g) on my Zing 2 and it didn't feel right. Reinstalled the Pingman and back to normal.

>

> Used the PP58 for the opposite effect on my frontline "fanged" mallet gamer with a 370g head. Wanted to lighten up the feel a bit from the stock 62g AVS PP58 grip (POS Winn). All of this has nothing to do with the Bullseye topic at hand. Inspired, placed the newly scrounged "honey" O-Set Flange Bullseye in the bag for todays shoot-a-bout (if it stops raining). Shock the lads by pulling out the old Bullseye.

>

I ended up with two Teal Blue ( Coastal Carolina University colors) PP58s for free. I used one of those grips on an old Anser I had and came to the same conclusion as you. In fact came up with the same weight as you did. Yep all old Pings were light head weight and I have to feel the head. That is why all of my Pings that I have played or attempted to play have gobs of lead tape. LOL when my bud at the golf shop gave me those some out of towner made the crack those were Ladies grips. I told him BS those are PP58s which are listed as a Men's grip. I told him those happened to be the color of CCU. He walked away perplexed. To give him credit he was a Canadian and I remembered Brooke Henderson used one for a while on her putter. But yeah the Bullseyes feel fine with the old school grips and no lead tape needed

Does anyone know what the fluted shaft was purported to do?

I used a bullseye for a few rounds in high school after my usual putter's shaft broke. Couldn't get it to work but did play a good 120yd left handed shot from behind a tree. I do appreciate 2-faced putters for this reason.

James to answer your question frankly I do not know--- I do know back in the day Bullseyes had them along with Tad Moore putters and a few TPM Spalding putters. Was hoping Mr Tad Moore will tune in here with some insight.

On another note I am watching the rerun of the second round of the Dominion Charity Classic on the Champions Tour. Corey Pavin is playing and putting well with his old Bullseye. They have been specificly talking about it. Someone asked Lanny if Cory had one or several. Lanny told them Corey has a bunch of them but one of them he likes better than others.

Fluted shafts were available on a variety of racket sports, marketed as 'anti-twist', I had badminton and squash rackets with this feature.

I assumed, with my track record probably wrongly, that this was an anti twist/ torque feature on putters as well.

> @stixman said:

> Fluted shafts were available on a variety of racket sports, marketed as 'anti-twist', I had badminton and squash rackets with this feature.

> I assumed, with my track record probably wrongly, that this was an anti twist/ torque feature on putters as well.

Stix if I remember correctly didn't some Wilson Staff and Haig Ultra clubs have a sort of fluted twisted shaft in both irons and woods? That would make sense on the torque twist idea. Thanks for your insight because I had forgotten that little tid bit