Caliente Bolero - Why does Scotty Cameron dislike this putter so much?

[andrevanderpost]

I fulfilled an obsession of mine today and finally became the owner of a brand spanking new Scotty Cameron Caliente Bolero putter. Old beat up ones are easy to find on eBay but finding one that is essentially untouched is tough.

 

I have always believed these to be one of his nicest "creations" essentially bringing some creative elements to the old Zebra putter. The red and gold theme together with the brass sole plate looks fantastic. It also has to be one of the first putters with an interchangeable weighting system, and the quality/detail on the putter is amazing.

 

Does anybody have any insight into why these are so despised by so many of the putter aficionados and especially Scotty himself, who is rumored to dislike them so much that he does not list them on the Putter archive on his website.....

 

All I can say is I love mine!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[pkshooter]

Not sure why the hate. Believe it or not, I actually found one of these in the trash at one of the holes on my local course. The shaft had been snapped in two. I didn't fish it out initially, but had second thoughts later that evening and went back and got it.

[TJCDAS]

The color style is not for me but it looks exactly like my Ray Cook M1 3x putter.

[nowski91381]

That is one uuuuugly putter, but to each their own! Glad ya found one!

[MixedBag]

Bettinardi must have talked him into making that one......I kid, I kid......don't kill betti fans

[zipit]

actually the Zebra had washer weights before the Scotty...

[SetTheBarrHigh]

It worked for some, it just didn't feel that great to me. I think that most felt the same way I did. The best way to improve your putting is to fall in love with a putter and stick with it, regardless of what others think. So stick with it! ( I had a similar situation because I loved my Titleist 907, some wanted to take my WRX membership away for that one)

[ckay]

I had one in the 90s. Putter was beautiful to look at. I just couldn't putt worth a damn with it.

[getair23]

I just found this puter in my basement with a Futura headcover on it. I totally forgot I had it. It doesn't feel great, but I was making a ton of puts with this thing. I might throw it in the bag to see what happens.

[Bubbabev]

I’ve just bought one that needs renovating and was wondering if anyone knows the name of the red paint used on the putter ? A long shot I know but 🤞

[lawgolfer]

It's not paint, but something like anodizing that it used on aluminum.  It does not flake off.  Unless you are a stickler for authenticity (and you can't be if you want to paint it), the best way to refinish a Caliente is to polish the head out to the bare metal.  As the factory finish is into the metal, you have to grind it away.  I used a multi-tool with the sanding head. An alternative would be a "flap wheel" on a bench grinder After all the red was off, I then polished it on a buffer using a non-woven metal finishing wheel much like ScotchBrite.  First, remove the sole plate and polish it separately.  The tricky thing is removing the shaft.  Unlike all other putters, this shaft has a threaded insert at the bottom which screws into the head.  It is a beautiful design as the double-bend shaft is in perfect alignment when the threads are tight.  The result will be stunning.  Caliente's are not liked as the changeable weights under the soleplate will "rattle".  The weights are the same diameter as a quarter and a small note says to use quarters if you want to change the weight.  You can prevent the rattle once you have the head weighted to your preference.  You can epoxy them in place or, better yet, secure them in place using ordinary window caulking.