2 Ray Cook Blue Goose Putters

[BlackOutZing]

So I picked these up at the local PIAS and I’ve been trying to find more info on them. I’ve seen some on eBay and other sites but wondering if anyone could help with other info on model and finish. Thanks! 

[PJE]

Ray Cook was around for a long time but its assets, inventory, and name were sold in 2011.  I don't know if Rock Bottom still owns the name.  You can find Ray Cook branded putters today but those are sold at Wal Mart, etc, and are not of the same quality as the original Ray Cooks.

Blue Goose and Ray Cook putters were well known.  I still have two of them in my garage. 

According to numerous articles, Scotty Cameron's first job was with Ray Cook in 1986 and he designed the Blue Goose shortly after he was hired; Cameron had left Ray Cook by 1990.  So your putters probably date between 1986-2000s? (Based on the patina, probably on the older side?)

I am not a putter expert or a Ray Cook expert so other people might have better information than I can provide, but the below links might be helpful as the Blue Gooses are referenced:

 

https://vault.si.com/vault/1995/01/30/putters-from-rank-amateurs-to-top-pros-frustrated-golfers-have-turned-the-flat-stick-industry-into-a-182-million-business

https://forums.golfwrx.com/topic/1710876-ray-cook-putters/

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20110926005463/en/RockBottomGolf.com-Acquires-Ray-Cook-Golf

Edited April 6, 2021 by PJE

[akronswitness]

23 hours ago, PJE said:

Ray Cook was around for a long time but its assets, inventory, and name were sold in 2011.  I don't know if Rock Bottom still owns the name.  You can find Ray Cook branded putters today but those are sold at Wal Mart, etc, and are not of the same quality as the original Ray Cooks.

Blue Goose and Ray Cook putters were well known.  I still have two of them in my garage. 

According to numerous articles, Scotty Cameron's first job was with Ray Cook in 1986 and he designed the Blue Goose shortly after he was hired; Cameron had left Ray Cook by 1990.  So your putters probably date between 1986-2000s? (Based on the patina, probably on the older side?)

I am not a putter expert or a Ray Cook expert so other people might have better information than I can provide, but the below links might be helpful as the Blue Gooses are referenced:

 

https://vault.si.com/vault/1995/01/30/putters-from-rank-amateurs-to-top-pros-frustrated-golfers-have-turned-the-flat-stick-industry-into-a-182-million-business

https://forums.golfwrx.com/topic/1710876-ray-cook-putters/

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20110926005463/en/RockBottomGolf.com-Acquires-Ray-Cook-Golf

 

I just bought a Ray Cook putter at a local golf shop, they are definitely still around as you stated but now they are more 'budget friendly option'.

 

Its essentially a knock off of the Spider putter. The gentlemen that worked there told me if you want to switch to a mallet style putter, spend the $75 on the Ray Cook version of the Spider to see if you like it first before spending $300 on the Taylormade. I took his word and here were are. No more Ping blade putter, but a Ray Cook budget mallet lol

 

Back to the topic, I did some digging for you and found a identical putter to the one in your pictures---The date is 1991-1992. @BlackOutZing

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 6, 2021 by akronswitness

[PJE]

3 minutes ago, akronswitness said:

 

I just bought a Ray Cook putter at a local golf shop, they are definitely still around as you stated but now they are more 'budget friendly option'.

 

Its essentially a knock off of the Spider putter. The gentlemen that worked there told me if you want to switch to a mallet style putter, spend the $75 on the Ray Cook version of the Spider to see if you like it first before spending $300 on the Taylormade. I took his word and here were are. No more Ping blade putter, but a Ray Cook budget mallet lol

 

 

How is it?  

[akronswitness]

3 minutes ago, PJE said:

How is it?  

 

Honestly, its amazing lol I know its cheap, I know I wanted to spend big money on a Oddessy or Taylormade, I know it looks goofy but MAN has it helped my putting. It comes with a oversized triangle shaped grip and everything that fits in your hands really naturally.

 

The red/white lines on the top help you so much in nailing pretty much anything inside 10 feet. My confidence level has gone through the roof on those 5-10 foot putts that I would almost always miss with my Ping blade putter. The only draw back is that it doesnt have a insert so it doesnt feel super smooth on impact as a higher level putter and the paint chips pretty easily if it gets banged around.

 

But hey, its a $50-$75 putter but it has made me a believer in mallet style putters being the best fit for me.

[PJE]

6 minutes ago, akronswitness said:

 

Honestly, its amazing lol I know its cheap, I know I wanted to spend big money on a Oddessy or Taylormade, I know it looks goofy but MAN has it helped my putting. It comes with a oversized triangle shaped grip and everything that fits in your hands really naturally.

 

The red/white lines on the top help you so much in nailing pretty much anything inside 10 feet. My confidence level has gone through the roof on those 5-10 foot putts that I would almost always miss with my Ping blade putter. The only draw back is that it doesnt have a insert so it doesnt feel super smooth on impact as a higher level putter and the paint chips pretty easily if it gets banged around.

 

But hey, its a $50-$75 putter but it has made me a believer in mallet style putters being the best fit for me.

Very cool; proof you don't have to spend big dollars on things that work! Nothing wrong with being cheap. When I was a kid you didn't hear about  "premium putters". Pretty much any putter cost less than $100 (in 1970s-1980s dollars). 

The high end putters look nice and are trendy but at the end of the day, it's whatever works best!

[akronswitness]

14 minutes ago, PJE said:

Very cool; proof you don't have to spend big dollars on things that work! Nothing wrong with being cheap. When I was a kid you didn't hear about  "premium putters". Pretty much any putter cost less than $100 (in 1970s-1980s dollars). 

The high end putters look nice and are trendy but at the end of the day, it's whatever works best!

I 100% agree.  

Edited April 7, 2021 by akronswitness

[Kiknit007]

So I had bought a Blue Goose 2many moons ago. I live in Orange County California and had gone to play 18 at a local public course Mile Square GC in Fountain Valley. Btw it is the home course of Lilia Vu fro a young age. So I walked on as a single and got paired with another golfer. He asked me where I got the putter. I said I picked it up at a garage sale. He tells me that he is John Byron the golf designer from Huntington Beach and my putter is an original prototype that Scotty Cameron had designed. He and Scotty both worked with Ray Cook in the 80s. I said are you sure. He said positive. He could tell because of the back name plate how it was designed. He said that was how Scotty and the shop did it and he was positive. WOW right !!! I still have it to this day. Great putter btw. At some point I'm going to call him up and get a signed statement to these facts. I think it would be worth a good amount.