Gene Nead Custom Putters

LionGolfer · January 1, 2023

Nead putters don't seem to get talked a lot here. I think its partly because Gene was very selective with whom he built putters for, he took his time with builds and hence did not make too many while being a NASCAR team boss and unfortunately, I hear having been taken ill. Gene if you read this, I hope all is well and you're getting better.

Gene built his putters the old school way. Very low CNC involvement (if at all) and billet up. I think he only outsourced his Black ox finish? Lamont I believe (?) regards Gene as an OG and if that coming from Lamont is not saying enough, I don't know what is. These 2 are real custom artisans that place a lot of emphasis on the hand made aspect of custom putter making.. or at least that is how I view them.

Gene experiments with a lot of different materials and always made scratch from billet up unlike some who modify outsourced blanks. You'll expect SS and carbon. Apart from these, Gene has also made some excellent billet copper examples, brass, Mokume Gane examples which for me is a tad much looks wise (personal preference of course) and of course Damascus (both carbon and stainless I believe).

I got involved in custom putters a long while back when Lumpy had his own setup, Dave Billings was running a great show at DLR Machine, Low Tide was still around, CL was more talked of, when Kari was just about starting out.... you get the drift. I always pegged a "best at" in my mind for the makers I commissioned work with. Lumpy for crazy not all appealing garage customs, Lamont for his lovely trademark barb wire face mill, Machine for their fantastic Damascus heads only to be usurped now by Kari who actually forges his own Damascus. Kari I hold as being the best at something else as well which I'll share when I get my new custom from him later this month.

Gene for me still is the best at Minis. Most minis are deep or wide to maintain weight and proportions can get wanky. Gene however manages to maintain weight while still maintaining the right proportions. That said, not always. I had a Nead Damascus mini which was overly wide like I described earlier which did not sit well with me.

My 2 remaining Neads (apart from the Damascus Mini, I had a SAP as well) however, are the perfect minis to my eye. Proportions are spot on and weight sits at 350 grams. I've decided to keep my 991 SS with mokume sight dot and have since installed the Muziik Dogatti PT135 shaft (this Japanese shaft maker made this low torque, stiff graphite shaft long before LAGP and the like) and added a copper colored carbon ferrule just for kicks. Seems to sit nicely with the slight patina and the mokume gane sight dot.

The second is a billet copper mini with a silver face insert, SS pill cut neck and sole bullets. The craftmanship on this is next level. Not your CNC cold clinical precision but artistic, hand made.... functional art. Think Tesla and Porsche 964. So much soul in this putter.

Just wanted to share this on the New Year. I know at least 2 distinguished collectors here who have more and better examples of Gene's work. Hopefully they choose to share them. Best for 2023 to all.

Edited January 3, 2023 by LionGolfer

jonradus · January 1, 2023

I owned this one below a while back, but stupidly sold it. That’s probably the only putter I ever really regretted selling. Gene was able to achieve such a meaty feel with his 991. The only other putter I’ve ever used that was able to duplicate that same meaty feeling is a carbon Black Lab Golf BL-3 mod with the flange buzzed off…which is also basically a mini. Happy New Year.

Edited January 1, 2023 by jonradus

LionGolfer · January 1, 2023

2 minutes ago, jonradus said:

I owned this one below a while back, but stupidly sold it. That’s probably the only putter I ever really regretted selling. Gene was able to achieve such a meaty feel with his 991. The only other putter I’ve ever used that was able to duplicate that same meaty feeling is a carbon Black Lab Golf BL-3 mod with the flange buzzed off…which is also basically a mini. Happy New Year.

This is super sweet! Meaty feel is a good way to describe it.

weakputt · January 3, 2023

We all Nead to give Gene more love.

Schwinn740 · February 1, 2023

I’ve attempted to contact Gene multiple times over the last few years through sending a Letter in the Mail and through Text, but never received a response back. I do remember the heath challenges but I don’t know if the results of it had any long term effect on being able to work with putters again. His putters don’t come around very often, but I was fortunate to track one down through a random Facebook Message and was abke

to acquire it. It will be here Friday.

LionGolfer · February 1, 2023

Yeah... Gene seems to not be the best with comms. There's a member here who is (was at least) close to Gene. Hopefully he will chime in with an update on Gene's health.

As to availability of his putters, Gene did not make a whole bunch. Really hand made so quantity was never going to be possible or intended. Congrats on getting a Nead. They are indeed not easy to come by.

Edited February 1, 2023 by LionGolfer