Understanding Bulls Eye Putters

[raggal62]

A Toney Penna grip? He worked for the company in the 80's. Even became their president. Makes sense it belonged to him.

[GREY GH0ST]

 

13 hours ago, raggal62 said:

A Toney Penna grip? He worked for the company in the 80's. Even became their president. Makes sense it belonged to him.

Interesting. Thanks for that info!

[The Aspidistra in the Hall]

On 11/24/2021 at 2:23 AM, woodriff said:

I’ve got several bullseye putters, and always wondered if you could bend them manually. I think the brass would move pretty good under heat.

Any ideas? 

Most definitely, yes, particularly the early ones. They are so soft that you have to be careful not to abuse them.

[RedPanda]

tbh, one should AVOID buying the bullseye that have heads that is blinding brass. It means someone polished it with who knows with what. I recall seeing one that had a polish that still had a orbiter machine wave marks (which is common on some irons) on it but it is NOT what you want on a putter.

 

I bought all of mine "unpolished", I wouldnt mind finding the more modern cameron bullseye (steel), being I am usually afraid of denting the brass each time I use it but when I was looking it costed like 200+ usd used.... and I thought na im ok i rather buy more titleist cameron as backup.

 

 

Edited December 30, 2021 by RedPanda

[The Aspidistra in the Hall]

The only way you dent a brass bullseye with a golf ball is you bash it from off the green.

With the greatest of respect, you need to get your approach shots to 10 feet or less to do justice to your lovely brass bullseyes.

That way you don't dent 'em. 😆.

[Robert L.]

On 12/30/2021 at 1:42 PM, RedPanda said:

tbh, one should AVOID buying the bullseye that have heads that is blinding brass. It means someone polished it with who knows with what. I recall seeing one that had a polish that still had a orbiter machine wave marks (which is common on some irons) on it but it is NOT what you want on a putter.

 

I bought all of mine "unpolished", I wouldnt mind finding the more modern cameron bullseye (steel), being I am usually afraid of denting the brass each time I use it but when I was looking it costed like 200+ usd used.... and I thought na im ok i rather buy more titleist cameron as backup.

 

 

I use Brasso and a microfiber cloth to polish my Bulls Eye. Doesn't damage anything, but it puts a nice shine on my putter.

[Pro McNix]

Does anyone know how much the original Bulls Eye putter head weighed? I had one in high school and putter great with it but today putters come in so many weights I don't know what might be the same as the Bulls Eye. 

[Fairway14]

On 2/10/2022 at 12:15 PM, Pro McNix said:

Does anyone know how much the original Bulls Eye putter head weighed? I had one in high school and putter great with it but today putters come in so many weights I don't know what might be the same as the Bulls Eye. 

 

Depending on the model, the 60's thru 90's era brass Bullseye putter heads weigh between 290 and 310 grams.

In the mid 90's, once Scotty Cameron joined Titleist, the company had him produce an "updated" brass Bullseye. So, he elongated the length of the head and made the head a bit taller, resulting in a 330 gram brass material head. The Scotty version Titleist brass head Bullseye putters are marked at the sole with an engraved SC.

[Fairway14]

On 11/21/2021 at 7:59 PM, Robert L. said:

I've been playing the Bulls Eye putter I got off eBay since last September, and my putting has really improved. The ball comes off the sweet spot so pure, and it's a very easy putter to aim. Frankly I don't see myself using another putter ever again!

 

The putter fitter/producer David Edel proclaimed that a Bullseye style putter is the easiest for most players to aim correctly at the target line.

[shoe whites]

great information, thanks 

worked at the Second Swing shop in skokie, illinois for a couple of years part time, used to come in on saturdays and the manager said, get rid of all those $1.99 putters, they are too good, folks by those and then nothing more expensive.

being a good employee and obediant, i  immediatley threw 20 bullseyes away, in my trunk.

anyway, have a question concerning my favorite, the Flange ll, little more pronounced then the flange or lafemme.

why do i not see them? how many were made? have two and they have firm shafts and are great.

any info would be appreciated.  my manager left 2nd swing later, nice guy though,

paul schweitz

[HappyGilmoresBoots]

Just curious about this one - it says Titleist on the heel of the putter face, it's got BULLS EYE stamped around the bulls-eye logo (with SC in the center of the circle), has John Reuter Jr Design stamped on the bottom left, and Original Flange straddling the right point of the logo.

[hollabachgt]

23 hours ago, HappyGilmoresBoots said:

Just curious about this one - it says Titleist on the heel of the putter face, it's got BULLS EYE stamped around the bulls-eye logo (with SC in the center of the circle), has John Reuter Jr Design stamped on the bottom left, and Original Flange straddling the right point of the logo.

 

When Scotty Cameron first partnered with Titleist they wanted him to do a remake of the Bullseye. He was super resistant but the upper brass was insistent. The putter you have is what he made. The SC in the middle is the only mark that Scotty Cameron was involved.

 

As Scotty first included the bullseye in the pro platinum line, it still did not say Scotty Cameron. It was labeled Bullseye Blade by Titleist and there was a small SC stamp on the back of the neck. As Scotty's version grew in popularity he began adding his name to it. Eventually his bullseye said Scotty Cameron in 3 different places!

[HappyGilmoresBoots]

13 minutes ago, hollabachgt said:

 

When Scotty Cameron first partnered with Titleist they wanted him to do a remake of the Bullseye. He was super resistant but the upper brass was insistent. The putter you have is what he made. The SC in the middle is the only mark that Scotty Cameron was involved.

 

As Scotty first included the bullseye in the pro platinum line, it still did not say Scotty Cameron. It was labeled Bullseye Blade by Titleist and there was a small SC stamp on the back of the neck. As Scotty's version grew in popularity he began adding his name to it. Eventually his bullseye said Scotty Cameron in 3 different places!

Thanks!  Per the table on the front page, does that mean it was manufactured later than 1978?

[hollabachgt]

Scotty joined Titleist around 1994. So it was some time after that. I found this quote from Titleist:

 

”The SC sole stamp was added to the John Reuter Jr. Bulls Eye design when Scotty Cameron joined Titleist. Prior to Scotty's joining the company, the Bulls Eye design had gone through many subtle shape changes. This was mainly due to the casting manufacturing process and then the hand-finishing, which produced inconsistent putter head shapes. Scotty gave the existing design his signature improvements, which brought the Bulls Eye design back to its original shape and length. Since he was now the resident Titleist putter maker (circa '94-95), the Bulls Eye putters that were distributed by the company going forward were stamped with an SC. ”

[Fairway14]

6 hours ago, hollabachgt said:

Scotty joined Titleist around 1994. So it was some time after that. I found this quote from Titleist:

 

”The SC sole stamp was added to the John Reuter Jr. Bulls Eye design when Scotty Cameron joined Titleist. Prior to Scotty's joining the company, the Bulls Eye design had gone through many subtle shape changes. This was mainly due to the casting manufacturing process and then the hand-finishing, which produced inconsistent putter head shapes. Scotty gave the existing design his signature improvements, which brought the Bulls Eye design back to its original shape and length. Since he was now the resident Titleist putter maker (circa '94-95), the Bulls Eye putters that were distributed by the company going forward were stamped with an SC. ”

 

As I wrote earlier, Cameron's primary change to the Bullseye line was increasing the head size  a bit so that head weight increased approximately 15 grams to become 330 grams instead of 315 grams. Also, Cameron directed a brass alloy composition be used that was harder sounding-feeling but more resistant to dings than previous brass Bullseyes. From 1994-1995 Titleist offered about 5 models of the SC brass Bullseyes (Standard, Original, Flange etc...) but they did not sell well and by about 2002 Titleist had discontinued all but the Standard model. For the most part the SC brass Bullseyes were sold by Titleist as the company's "promotional putter" sold in bulk with personalized corporate and, or, event logos.  I believe that in about year 2015 Titleist stopped producing brass Bullseyes.

[HappyGilmoresBoots]

8 hours ago, hollabachgt said:

Scotty joined Titleist around 1994. So it was some time after that. I found this quote from Titleist:

 

”The SC sole stamp was added to the John Reuter Jr. Bulls Eye design when Scotty Cameron joined Titleist. Prior to Scotty's joining the company, the Bulls Eye design had gone through many subtle shape changes. This was mainly due to the casting manufacturing process and then the hand-finishing, which produced inconsistent putter head shapes. Scotty gave the existing design his signature improvements, which brought the Bulls Eye design back to its original shape and length. Since he was now the resident Titleist putter maker (circa '94-95), the Bulls Eye putters that were distributed by the company going forward were stamped with an SC. ”

That's wild, holy cow.  Finding a legit Scotty at a thrift store like that...wow.

[Fellaheen51]

Don't know which SC Bullseye version was first.  Know of at least three.  But confirmed that this "Original" version was from 1996.  As found minty fresh, still had the original plastic covering on the grip.  Nice ROI when flipped to the SC fanboys.  

 

[Tupperwolf]

This is mine.  I've had it ages, long since swapped out the original grip and lost (or sold) the headcover.  It's the one I keep coming back to.  I had another Scotty bullseye, with his name plastered on it, but that one was nothing like the amazing feel of this.

 

[HappyGilmoresBoots]

I soaked mine in salt + vinegar for a while yesterday to remove a bit of the corrosion and dullness from my putter, and I love the bright brass look now...not polished, of course, just looking fresh without the dull dinge of time.  I'm planning on paintfilling part of it at least, and was wondering about using some sort of clearcoat to maintain the bright brass look.

 

Will either paintfilling or clearcoating ruin the potential resale value?

[Hickory4ever]

I would not worry about resale value. I just bought another Bullseye for $20 and could have bought 3, the most expensive being $30.

 

 

[BIG STU]

1 hour ago, HappyGilmoresBoots said:

I soaked mine in salt + vinegar for a while yesterday to remove a bit of the corrosion and dullness from my putter, and I love the bright brass look now...not polished, of course, just looking fresh without the dull dinge of time.  I'm planning on paintfilling part of it at least, and was wondering about using some sort of clearcoat to maintain the bright brass look.

 

Will either paintfilling or clearcoating ruin the potential resale value?

Among the ones I have one is a more modern one I suspect. Has the Satin Flare Tipped shaft. I found it in the scrap some years back. The head is a Honey Gold color. Down here in Coastal SC one would think it would patina up like the others but it has not. I have never done anything but wipe it down with a towel and water. Now comparing it to others in the mix it seems to putt softer even though it feels to me lighter than my flanged one. That is a beautiful putter and I nicknamed it "Honey" for it's color. Maybe someone has some insight and can educate me some.

Now this is sorta off topic of Bulls Eyes proper. Some time back again I found a Wilson Augusta which most on here know is a Bulls Eye copy. I mainly saved it for the non flare tipped fluted shaft and a nice leather type wrap grip. I had it in the back of my mind to put it into one of the numerous Ansers I have. Now I have indoor putted with it some but never on the course. Now it appears to be brass or an alloy and has a nice patina and it is much heavier than any of the Bulls Eyes even my flanged one with lead tape added. It does have a great feel. Somehow it ended up in the house and I like it. I am actually second guessing my self on cannibalizing it. I plan on maybe taking it to the course tomorrow in a practice session---- Comments and insights are also welcome here

[Hickory4ever]

3 hours ago, BIG STU said:

Among the ones I have one is a more modern one I suspect. Has the Satin Flare Tipped shaft. I found it in the scrap some years back. The head is a Honey Gold color. Down here in Coastal SC one would think it would patina up like the others but it has not. I have never done anything but wipe it down with a towel and water. Now comparing it to others in the mix it seems to putt softer even though it feels to me lighter than my flanged one. That is a beautiful putter and I nicknamed it "Honey" for it's color. Maybe someone has some insight and can educate me some.

Now this is sorta off topic of Bulls Eyes proper. Some time back again I found a Wilson Augusta which most on here know is a Bulls Eye copy. I mainly saved it for the non flare tipped fluted shaft and a nice leather type wrap grip. I had it in the back of my mind to put it into one of the numerous Ansers I have. Now I have indoor putted with it some but never on the course. Now it appears to be brass or an alloy and has a nice patina and it is much heavier than any of the Bulls Eyes even my flanged one with lead tape added. It does have a great feel. Somehow it ended up in the house and I like it. I am actually second guessing my self on cannibalizing it. I plan on maybe taking it to the course tomorrow in a practice session---- Comments and insights are also welcome here

Dr. Stu, take it out to play before performing a shaftectomy 😀.

[BIG STU]

1 hour ago, Hickory4ever said:

Dr. Stu, take it out to play before performing a shaftectomy 😀.

Yeah it is in the bag along with Rusty for tomorrow.

[HappyGilmoresBoots]

Had a little fun paintfilling some stuff today, including the bullseye putter in question.

[SnowbirdTom]

This was found locally on Marketplace.  It had some serious dark spots and some bruising, but that RTJ Golf Trail logo convinced me to add it.  It got the vinegar/salt treatment and will be left to re-age gracefully while covered and used in my bag. Oh, it was $10 with a good original corded grip and fluted shaft.  I’m going to paint backfill the logos on the bottom in black.

 

 

Listing photos:

 

Edited March 8, 2022 by SnowbirdTom
Added old photis

[BIG STU]

If you note my signature my Honey colored Bullseye is in the bag. Scotty had gotten ice cold so it is resting in the front room in the house. I had been practicing with it for some time. Found out I had gotten too mechanical and lost all feel with the Scotty. With the Bullseye I have the grip I always used same as on all my clubs. Basically I am more relaxed over the ball and through the stroke. I have gotten back to my old form of instinct putting with it. Seems to be working for now. I did not play the Shootout last week but I have used it before. I do know it is as it's namesake a Bullseye from 5 ft in. But I will see hopefully this week. Scotty is resting and No it is not going anywhere. In the past it as earned it's permanent home

[kingdomskate]

Just got this for free at the local thrift store. Grip and shaft are like new. It anything special? 

[Hickory4ever]

4 hours ago, kingdomskate said:

Just got this for free at the local thrift store. Grip and shaft are like new. It anything special? 

It is a great putter, in fact I used one like that for over forty years. They are quite common and I still enjoy playing with one in my vintage bag.

[iGolf67]

One of my regular playing partners is 81 years old and he uses his father's bullseye putter, which is 76 years old. 

[Wham49]

On 12/18/2021 at 8:29 PM, GREY GH0ST said: