BYRON MORGAN REVIEW

[RobotDoctor]

$1000 for a putter though? OMG. the should be picking you up in a limo and bringing you to the manufacturing area...

 

Really? That's not a bad price for a custom putter. How much do you think a Cameron or Lamb custom putter would cost made of SSS? Try 5 to 6X more .... minimum. Limo certainly not needed here.

[RobotDoctor]

My custom experiences this year, dealing with multiple companies, have been filled with poor communication and timelines that can best be described as 'elastic'. In the end I've received quality product, but the process has been frustrating. I hate having to be the one to reach out over and over. My nature is not to pester, but it's difficult when you are left wondering what is going on. I'd rather the individual be up front and provide the 'straight goods'.

 

In a nutshell, bigblue I truly feel for you and hope the next experience is more enjoyable.

 

Yep, you have to really want a Byron to see yourself through the process. I have bought at least 5 and the buying "experience" wore me out.

 

My buying experience with Byron always has been rather easy, even the last putter earlier this year. I send an email stating what I want, explaining the stampings I want. I generally get a call from Byron to be sure and, viola, putter is made and sent when it is ready.

[RobotDoctor]

Man. Sorry to hear about your experience. I'm looking for a custom putter myself, so good to know. There's no reason to put up with that for the sake of the brand. High quality custom putter manufacturers are everywhere these days.

 

Damn, I was starting to consider my first custom Byron. I really want a long neck DH89...but this thread actually gives me a lot of pause.

 

Send Byron an email directly. His email address is on his website. Byron is a pleasure to work with. I love my Byrons, every one of them.

[Pwood28]

Damn, I was starting to consider my first custom Byron. I really want a long neck DH89...but this thread actually gives me a lot of pause.

 

This is an unfortunate situation, but don't let it dissuade you from working with Byron. This is an outlier situation by far. I have ordered 5 sticks and working on the 6th with Byron and it's always been first class. I've worked with Z-Man, Eddie and Byron himself, and always had a good result. It is important to remember that Byron is a one man shop (with some help on the order side) and that finishes are done in batches. Be very specific when you put your order in and patient through the build and you will get an incredible stick.

[denvergolf]

If a company had a lead time of 8+ months and quotes you 2-3, that's unethical. I'm not saying they are doing that but it sounds like they could be. Companies, no matter how big or small, should be truthful on lead times at the time of the order (to the best of their knowledge).

 

I don't disagree, but I also don't think that's what is happening.

 

I think that tiny companies quote 2-3 because their lead time is 2-3. Then, if someone has health issues, or one of their vendors takes longer than they quoted, or a different kind of setback occurs, then everything grinds to a halt... then everyone's order is behind and there is no way to catch up because it's a one man show.

 

I doubt that anyone who knows that their lead times are 8 months would tell someone that it'll only be 2-3... that's just what it turns into.

 

Personally, if it was me, I wouldn't mind so much as long as I was kept in the loop. If someone tells me 2-3 months, then sends me a proactive email/text after 10 weeks letting me know that there have been delays and setbacks resulting in an extra few months, that would make the situation a lot better. I wouldn't be happy about it, but at least I wouldn't feel hung out to dry.

 

Proactive follow up with waiting customers doesn't always make a bad situation a good one... but it goes a long way towards taking the sting out of it all.

To your point, the DH89 I ordered a few years back actually ended up being made in "error". I ordered a carbon head, and it was made from a**. Byron reached out to me directly (we had no prior relationship), explained that the putter was done, but he had used stainless instead of carbon. He offered to remake the putter in carbon, and let me use the one he made for the time being. I just told him no sweat, and kept the stainless. Moral of the story...Byron is a great guy to work with, their "sales" guys have been difficult to pin down in the past and I would probably order again due to Byron being up front about it. Honestly, he could have sent me that putter, and I wouldn't have known what it was made of...

[tsecor]

id love a Byron putter but the many mistakes i see posted here is enough to look elsewhere, especially for $1000

[bigbluefan1132]

except for the welded hosel and the deep water finish, what are the additional features which bring price from 500$ to 1000$?

 

Extra Stamping, black shaft (that they didn't install), bomber headcover (they sent the wrong one), blue leather grip (they sent a black instead), new bomb stamp in cavity, and like you said - weld neck and deep water

[bigbluefan1132]

More pics of the putter

 

 

 

[tsecor]

why would you want "tour use prohibited" stamped on your putter? was that a Byron thing?

[bigbluefan1132]

No, I thought it was catchy and I liked it so I had them stamp it on there. I'm obviously not a tour player so I thought it was funny.

[Carson33]

I ordered a custom Byron about 4 years ago. Unfortunately, this was my experience as well. I was told 3-4 months, and it took 8 months. Once I received the putter, it looked very "sub-standard" and haphazardly crafted. Nothing like I would have thought for the money spent. I rolled it a couple of rounds and then sold it on eBay.

 

I never voiced my displeasure on this forum chalking it up to a one-off situation. Sounds like it is a recurring issue.

[tsecor]

No, I thought it was catchy and I liked it so I had them stamp it on there. I'm obviously not a tour player so I thought it was funny.

lol...I thought they did it without your consent.....that's actually pretty funny and witty. its a very personal touch.

[bigbluefan1132]

No, they did plenty of other things without my consent to make up for it lol :taunt:

[dwboston]

No, they did plenty of other things without my consent to make up for it lol :taunt:

 

There is no "they", it's just Byron.

 

I think I've ordered 5 putters from Byron (or his reps) over the years, and another DH89 through Jimmy at USA Milled (which was easiest as Jimmy already had the finished putters and just cut to length, gripped and shipped). In my experience, going direct through Byron is the way to go vs. the reps, but it's no guarantee everything will be perfect. I've had little imperfections with half of the putters I've ordered. The first one I ever ordered was an 006 - when I got it it had a sight dot on the topline instead of a sightline on the flange. I actually liked it better that way in the end and kept it, and prefer that on my putters now. I've had sloppy paintfill on a few, mostly because they were painted right before shipping and the paint bled a little - no big deal. I've had long wait times (6 months or so) and short wait times (a month). It all depends on level of customization and finish selected. I've also had a few putters that were perfect, including the one in my avatar, which was my 10th anniversary gift from my wife. I've never had an issue with the quality of the milling, welding, or weight. I've talked to Byron on the phone a few times and he is a great guy to talk to.

 

The one thing that used to bug me a bit years ago was the disparity in communication/updates that some folks would get vs. others. There were guys here and at Puttertalk with frequent updates and photos of their putter builds in progress - I don't think I got any of that, even on an $1100 GSS DH89. In the end, I came to realize that Byron is doing it all himself and since I like his work, to just let it go. YMMV. Now if there are material issues with your putter, they should absolutely be resolved. And don't think that the grass is always greener. I've ordered putters from three other custom makers. One completely forgot to make my putter, despite status updates leading me to believe that it was in process and on target, and then he tried to offer me something I didn't want - I took a refund and got another DH89 instead. I've also had great experiences with Lajosi on multiple putters (and the 12 hour time difference to Australia made communication a challenge, but all 3 of my Lajosi putters were dead solid on the specs and build) and Lamont on a handmade build.

 

It's your money and you should be happy with the finished product. It's frustrating when things don't turn out the way you envisioned, especially when you have to wait so long to get them. I'm a Byron fan, but there are other options if communication and updates are important to you. Hope you get it sorted out.

[tsecor]

once again, paying $1000 for a putter and to hear these issues is just ridiculous.

 

Beautiful putters though.

[Mikey Town]

More pics of the putter

 

 

 

 

Maybe I’ll contact Byron and buy this one.

 

The neck stamping, Tai dots, double dots on the top line, and TUP on the sole are all elements I’ve used on my 2 DH89s. I even like a heavier head weight... maybe he thought he was making this one for me. LOL

[bigbluefan1132]

The rep has it now...and don't let him sell it to you for $1055....we all know what it's worth now since I was able to get it for $800 lol

[Mikey Town]

The rep has it now...and don't let him sell it to you for $1055....we all know what it's worth now since I was able to get it for $800 lol

 

I’d be curious to see what the price breakdown was to get to $1055.

 

From my experience it looks like a $500 DH89, $100 weld neck, $100 deep water, $100ish Tai dots, and maybe an extra $50-$75 because it’s a lot of hand stamping on that one.

 

Was there a custom leather grip or an extra headcover involved?

[bigbluefan1132]

The rep has it now...and don't let him sell it to you for $1055....we all know what it's worth now since I was able to get it for $800 lol

 

I’d be curious to see what the price breakdown was to get to $1055.

 

From my experience it looks like a $500 DH89, $100 weld neck, $100 deep water, $100ish Tai dots, and maybe an extra $50-$75 because it’s a lot of hand stamping on that one.

 

Was there a custom leather grip or an extra headcover involved?

 

This was the email with the price breakdown:

 

 

[Mikey Town]

This is shocking to me.

 

I’ve never heard of the base putter price being for the head only. I was always under the impression that the $500 base price included a complete putter (with shaft and grip), headcover, alignment aid of choice and an average amount of stampings.

 

Upcharging for shaft, grip, headcover and alignment aid seems pretty weak. Byron has never quoted me like this.

 

The putter you received is gorgeous. It’s a shame it’s not exactly what you ordered. Still can’t believe that price quote, though.

[bigbluefan1132]

The shaft and grip were upcharges from standard. I ordered a black pvd shaft and a blue leather grip, both of which I didn't receive on my putter.

[Mikey Town]

The shaft and grip were upcharges from standard. I ordered a black pvd shaft and a blue leather grip, both of which I didn't receive on my putter.

 

OK... That makes more sense.

 

I still don't think you should've been charged for a headcover or alignment aid, though. LOL

[shanx]

Did he use a crayon for that paintfill?

[Mikey Town]

Did he use a crayon for that paintfill?

 

Huh?

 

The paintfill looks pretty good to me.

[oneaugusta]

Have had Byron make 9 customs over the past 8 years and have had no issues. I did come to the conclusion that talking to Byron himself made more sense. Every time I would ask a question to a sales guy he would have to ask Byron and get back to me and often times it got really confused during that process. Byron is a great guy and I'm sure he makes few mistakes on his own.

[tsecor]

Have had Byron make 9 customs over the past 8 years and have had no issues. I did come to the conclusion that talking to Byron himself made more sense. Every time I would ask a question to a sales guy he would have to ask Byron and get back to me and often times it got really confused during that process. Byron is a great guy and I'm sure he makes few mistakes on his own.

what putter is in your profile pic?

[Circaflex]

The one thing I must say about any boutique or custom putter shop, hire people to do your communication. I feel like this is the number one complaint with every single boutique company, lack of communication. I've experienced it with two different companies and its frustrating as hell. Either hire people to do the communication, or take the time out of your day to communicate with the people who are keeping you afloat. I would say 99% of the complaint threads here would not even exist, if XYZ Company would just email or call their clients.

[Arpeggi]

I also had a terrible experience dealing with the rep for my DH89. Took forever and the rep wasn’t responsive. Put your $1000 in Netflix stock and 6 months from now you can buy your own custom putter from a real company with good customer service.

[tsecor]

I also had a terrible experience dealing with the rep for my DH89. Took forever and the rep wasn't responsive. Put your $1000 in Netflix stock and 6 months from now you can buy your own custom putter from a real company with good customer service.

you can literally get 2 shares for $1000

[MixedBag]

How do you know the weight is wrong? Did you weigh the head? Just curious.

 

Hey, they did eventually give you a refund. Could have been smoother sure, but in the custom business eventually everyone makes mistakes. I'm just surprised Byron is 7 months out on orders, must be crazy busy. Or maybe just not turning out as many putters.

 

I did not measure the head by itself, but I measured the full putter with another 353 putter I have with same shaft and length. Also, they stamped the wrong headweight on the bottom from what I ordered.

 

Just giving me the refund and not offering to fix it is what made me angry (from the rep). I had to contact Byron directly for him to even say he'd make me another putter at the same price.

 

If I was quoted 7 months in the beginning, and not 2-3, I'd be more okay with it.

 

That's fair... I can completely understand your frustrations here. I've have had 5 putters made by Byron, with another on the way. I live close enough to just go to the shop, so I've never dealt with a rep, but have heard mixed reviews.

 

"One man shop" type of turn times can be incredibly frustrating. I'm currently waiting on a custom pool cue that has an ETA of October... 2017. I feel your pain.

 

Even if the rep didn't have the authority to offer a remake, they probably should've contacted Byron to check on that before refunding your money. You shouldn't have had to contact him yourself.

 

Who is making the pool cue that is taking a year? I have a Woody Woodworth that I love. Haven't played in about a year, but that guy was solid when I purchased 5-6 years ago.

 

 

 

OP,

Should have ordered a Lajosi.