Scotty Cameron custom

[Saintee Davie]

I’ve got a 2021 phantom x 5 Cameron which has picked up a couple of scratches on the head this year which can only be seen under a certain light.

 

Obviously I’d like to keep it as mint as possible so I’m thinking about using a club refurbisher I’ve found online who seem legit. Can’t decide whether to get it back to the original finish or go for a blackout finish.

 

This putter was a birthday present so I’m never going to get rid of it but at the same time I don’t want to do anything to lower the value.

 

What’s everyone’s thoughts?

[EKB]

Others will more knowledge will weigh in but from what I’ve experienced/learned, using anyone other than the Scotty Custom Shop will likely lower the value of your X5.  BOS does quality refinishing/refurbishing and I believe used to do all the Cameron work.

Obviously your call but if it was a gift that you’ll never part with, those scratches and dings may make for good memories of using a special gift during special rounds?

[Saintee Davie]

8 minutes ago, EKB said:

Others will more knowledge will weigh in but from what I’ve experienced/learned, using anyone other than the Scotty Custom Shop will likely lower the value of your X5.  BOS does quality refinishing/refurbishing and I believe used to do all the Cameron work.

Obviously your call but if it was a gift that you’ll never part with, those scratches and dings may make for good memories of using a special gift during special rounds?

Makes perfect sense!! I’m just a bit bummed that I’ve managed to get a scratch along the head near the alignment line. I guess it’s going to happen tho.

[EKB]

Oh I get it, I treat my gear very well but have inevitably picked up nicks and dings despite my best efforts.  I watched a YouTube video of Brad Faxon giving putting lessons with his rusted/weathered SC gamer and it made we feel better!

[Saintee Davie]

The positive I’ve taken from it is that it’s only really when the sun hits it that it stands out. A piece of grit or something must have got in the headcover.

[EKB]

[Saintee Davie]

That certainly looks bashed!! Isn’t it designed to rust with that finish tho?

[mjo23]

The Phantoms are difficult to refinish (to a different color) because of the sole plate. The sole plate is not designed to be removed, it’s basically held in place by double sided tape and such. I’ve seen pictures where people refinish their Phantom black, which required removing the sole plate in the process, and as a result the re-attached sole plate isn’t nearly as flush/snug as it was initially

 

And I noticed that the custom shop is now allowing certain models to be refinished in black, even if the original color wasn’t black - so I inquired about this for a Phantom X11 (simply out of curiosity) that I had, and they told me it’s not an option because of what I described above

 

 

Edited June 4, 2023 by mjo23

[EKB]

4 hours ago, Saintee Davie said:

That certainly looks bashed!! Isn’t it designed to rust with that finish tho?

Ha, wasn’t trying to compare his custom Laguna and how it may ages to your X5!  Only that function and beauty may not always be synonymous

[MFBach]

48 minutes ago, EKB said:

Ha, wasn’t trying to compare his custom Laguna and how it may ages to your X5!  Only that function and beauty may not always be synonymous

 

Some putters just look better with a little… character? I debated a refinish on this NP when I picked it up, but decided against it and love the patina now. Wouldn’t have it any other way. 
 

That being said, if I had a black or painted putter (or anything clean with an imperfection in a bad/distracting spot), I would be more inclined to do something about it. 

[Saintee Davie]

Here’s the scratch I’m thinking of getting removed. Only visible under a certain light.

[BYK]

9 hours ago, MFBach said:

 

Some putters just look better with a little… character? I debated a refinish on this NP when I picked it up, but decided against it and love the patina now. Wouldn’t have it any other way. 
 

That being said, if I had a black or painted putter (or anything clean with an imperfection in a bad/distracting spot), I would be more inclined to do something about it. 

Nice putter

 

that one has already probably been refinished (or definitely remilled at a min), so refinishing it again would have put it at a pretty low weight

and the patina looks great!

[3PuttLefty]

If you are never gonna sell It then dont worry about the value. It is priceless to you.   Find a reputable company to refinish it and enjoy!! 
 

[MFBach]

5 hours ago, BYK said:

that one has already probably been refinished (or definitely remilled at a min), so refinishing it again would have put it at a pretty low weight

I was told the milling was original and it’s an old putter, so who knows what was happening at the CS in the early days. Those heads were lighter to begin with, but this one is still around 325g, I think - been a while since I weighed it. 
 

I acquired it from an Acushnet employee, so I don’t see any reason not to believe him. It was an interesting story, regardless. I talked to the CS about authentication and they confirmed they could identify their milling/grinding, even if it was unique/unusual or aged, but they wouldn’t be able to (publicly) authenticate the ownership or history, which is what I was actually interested in.  
 

But, my point was more so about the aesthetics anyway. If it’s an old, carbon putter, it’s easier to ignore a scuff or blemish. If it was something newer and had a cleaner, finer finish, I would be more inclined to let the scratches or rough spots bother me. 
 

10 hours ago, Saintee Davie said:

Here’s the scratch I’m thinking of getting removed. Only visible under a certain light.

It might just be the pictures, but those looks like super minimal blemishes. Chances are decent that it will pick up some new ones along the way, so unless it really bothers you, I would wait out the refinish until it was more exaggerated. Just my opinion, obviously. 

[Saintee Davie]

16 minutes ago, MFBach said:

I was told the milling was original and it’s an old putter, so who knows what was happening at the CS in the early days. Those heads were lighter to begin with, but this one is still around 325g, I think - been a while since I weighed it. 
 

I acquired it from an Acushnet employee, so I don’t see any reason not to believe him. It was an interesting story, regardless. I talked to the CS about authentication and they confirmed they could identify their milling/grinding, even if it was unique/unusual or aged, but they wouldn’t be able to (publicly) authenticate the ownership or history, which is what I was actually interested in.  
 

But, my point was more so about the aesthetics anyway. If it’s an old, carbon putter, it’s easier to ignore a scuff or blemish. If it was something newer and had a cleaner, finer finish, I would be more inclined to let the scratches or rough spots bother me. 
 

It might just be the pictures, but those looks like super minimal blemishes. Chances are decent that it will pick up some new ones along the way, so unless it really bothers you, I would wait out the refinish until it was more exaggerated. Just my opinion, obviously. 

Thanks, yeah I’m guessing that’s why it’s only visible when the light catches it properly. I was actually thinking about getting my daughters initials on it and the company I’ve messaged came back saying if I wanted the engraving they’d just give it a quick polish over at the same time to get rid of the scratch. Tempted to go for a blackout tho but not sure how that would hold up on sanded greens.

[BYK]

42 minutes ago, MFBach said:

I was told the milling was original and it’s an old putter, so who knows what was happening at the CS in the early days. Those heads were lighter to begin with, but this one is still around 325g, I think - been a while since I weighed it. 
 

I acquired it from an Acushnet employee, so I don’t see any reason not to believe him. It was an interesting story, regardless. I talked to the CS about authentication and they confirmed they could identify their milling/grinding, even if it was unique/unusual or aged, but they wouldn’t be able to (publicly) authenticate the ownership or history, which is what I was actually interested in.  
 

But, my point was more so about the aesthetics anyway. If it’s an old, carbon putter, it’s easier to ignore a scuff or blemish. If it was something newer and had a cleaner, finer finish, I would be more inclined to let the scratches or rough spots bother me. 
 

It might just be the pictures, but those looks like super minimal blemishes. Chances are decent that it will pick up some new ones along the way, so unless it really bothers you, I would wait out the refinish until it was more exaggerated. Just my opinion, obviously. 

 

I'd like to see that one go through the COA process for sure

never seen that milling pattern before on any Cameron

They usually won't comment on any authenticity over the phone also. Interesting.

[MFBach]

59 minutes ago, BYK said:

I'd like to see that one go through the COA process for sure

never seen that milling pattern before on any Cameron

That was my thought process when originally contacting them about the COA. 
 

59 minutes ago, BYK said:

They usually won't comment on any authenticity over the phone also. Interesting.

Sorry if that was misleading. They didn’t actually comment on the authenticity of my NP or the milling itself. They only verified that if it was indeed done by anyone at SC, they would be able to verify it. 

[Shwagin1066]

2 hours ago, MFBach said:

That was my thought process when originally contacting them about the COA. 
 

Sorry if that was misleading. They didn’t actually comment on the authenticity of my NP or the milling itself. They only verified that if it was indeed done by anyone at SC, they would be able to verify it. 

Under absolutely no circumstances is the milling on that Newport original, or done by anyone at the custom shop. 0.0%. They wouldn’t touch that thing. 

[MFBach]

18 hours ago, Shwagin1066 said:

Under absolutely no circumstances is the milling on that Newport original, or done by anyone at the custom shop. 0.0%. They wouldn’t touch that thing. 

It’s quite possible that it was done somewhere else. I’ve definitely never seen anything like it come out of the CS. 
 

I was told by the previous owner, again - someone who works with Acushnet, that it belonged to a Tour player in a previous life and the milling was 100% done at Scotty’s Studio. Didn’t ask for a name, didn’t really care either. I had reason enough to believe him, but to be honest, I wouldn’t be devastated if was something else. I didn’t pay a CT price for it by any means and don’t plan on selling it regardless. 
 

Y’all do have me rethinking the COA process though. Would definitely be an interesting piece, if authenticated. It’s not just the face milking that’s interesting. It was hand finished/contoured in some areas also, so presumably, they were trying to cut the head weight when the work was done. 

[kb7]

On 6/4/2023 at 3:55 AM, Saintee Davie said:

Here’s the scratch I’m thinking of getting removed. Only visible under a certain light.

 

 

Just needs disassembled, bead blasted, paint filled, and reassembled. Should be an easy fix. Going with a blackout look is always cool too!

[Saintee Davie]

4 hours ago, kb7 said:

 

 

Just needs disassembled, bead blasted, paint filled, and reassembled. Should be an easy fix. Going with a blackout look is always cool too!

Would the blackout look wear quicker on sanded greens etc?

[MFBach]

6 hours ago, Saintee Davie said:

Would the blackout look wear quicker on sanded greens etc?

I think the only current option for a black finish from SC is the same Black Mist finish available on the 2012 Select putters, which in my experience, did not hold up well at all on the sole, especially when the surface was sanded, fertilized, etc. 

 

It wouldn’t help your resale value, but if you wanted a durable finish in black, I might look at alternative options. 

[kb7]

14 hours ago, Saintee Davie said:

Would the blackout look wear quicker on sanded greens etc?

 

You have a few options for black. You could do a PVD/DLC finish or a polymer coating. Any of these will show wear over time, just like any finish on the market. Sandy greens are not the best for preserving putter finishes.