TINLEY PARK, ILL (August 14, 2015) -- I was
three years old when I began to learn the
game. This was at the time my father began to
mill putters for other top equipment
manufacturers. I had a putter that said “Sink it
Sam” on it when I turned 6 and I fell in love with
the aspect of customizing putters and seeing
different logos on your flatstick.
Fast forward to high-school and college, I was
always involved in conversations with my father
at the dinner table, talking about putter ideas,
business thoughts, tour players, etc. My plan
was
to go to college for four years, graduate and
work
for another company to gain some outside
experience, then come back and work for my
father. This was in the winter of 2012 when I
graduated from DePaul University.
In January of 2013 as I was beginning my job
search, and Brian Gay won the Humana
Challenge
with our putter, and shortly after Matt Kuchar
began to use a Bettinardi. Things started to
really
pick up at work and my father needed a
sales/marketing guy so we both agreed that it
was the perfect timing. I have been working
here
for almost 3 years now and enjoy every minute
of
it. Golf is my passion as I am a scratch golfer
and
working with my father is a dream come true.
Matt Ward: Branding is central to a company’s
long term success — describe the approach
taken
by Bettinardi?
Sam Bettinardi: Bettinardi Golf was
established in 1998 as a high-end putter maker
that made all of their products in America.
Nearly
20 years later — nothing has changed. We still
make all of our putters in our own
manufacturing
facility 15 feet away from our office, which is
unheard of in today’s golf industry. The things
that change is the product we come out with,
different finishes on the heads, new face
millings,
and expanding our short game offering into
wedges.
MW: What specific way does Bettinardi separate
itself from your major competitors?
SB: We produce all of our product in-house. We
are an
ISO certified company which means our
manufacturing process is upheld to a certain
global standard. The quality control standards
that go into making a Bettinardi putter are
second
to none. So when you buy Bettinardi, you know
you will have the finest putting instrument
available in the game of golf, giving you the
confidence you need in the part of the game that
is needed most.
MW: For years golfers focused on selecting the
correct driver as a central item for equipment
consideration. That emphasis is still present —
what’s been the challenge to get golfers to be
even more aware of the kind of putter they need
to use given the percentage of times a putter
will
impact a player’s score and likelihood for overall
game improvement?
SB: Today’s golfers are still
searching for that ‘next big thing’ with drivers
because it’s sexy. It is definitely more attractive
to believe you can hit the ball an extra 15 yards
and straighter every time with the latest
technology. However, the old saying drive for
show putt for dough still rings true. Most players
putt between 28-40 times in any given round,
while drivers are used 10-14 times. Do the math
and decide where you would like invest in your
game.
MW: Not many years ago fitting for putters was
not something equipment companies focused —
now it most certain is. What’s the Bettinardi
approach in that process?
SB: Our fitting process
here at Studio B is done on a 4-camera V1 laser
fitting system. The player comes in and we are
looking to find that perfect putter that fits their
stroke, rather than changing their stroke to fit a
particular putter.
MW: Is it necessary for an aspiring company to
have a presence on the PGA and LPGA Tours and
for player endorsements to gain marketplace
credibility and standing?
SB: Absolutely. When you
can get the best golfers in the world to use a
Bettinardi putter, then they go out and win a
PGA
event with the putter, that validates it for the
general public immediately. It proves what we
are
doing here is working for the games best, and
that means everything.
MW: Bettinardi is also one of the few golf
equipment companies where the entire creation
process is centered exclusively in the USA. Do
you
believe such a commitment to remain matters to
American customers?
SB: We believe over the past
few years more and more consumers are paying
attention to where there product is made. People
like buying locally and you can easily see this
trend in the microbrewery business. Beer
drinkers
are ditching the mass produced brands in favor
of
smaller, artisanal companies who have a little
flair
in their packaging and product. When it comes to
Bettinardi, people are starting to notice that on
all
of our putters “Made in the USA” is proudly
engraved on each one. The past 20 years I
believe the majority of consumers could care
less
especially including people my age, and now I
think it is coming back in a big way.
MW: “My office is 15 feet from the shop floor,”
is a
phrase founder and owner Robert Bettinardi
uses.
Can a successful company maintain such a
connection as it grows and includes more
players
in the development process?
SB: Without a
question. When we say that it is 15 feet from the
shop floor, we literally mean it is 15 feet from
our
office. We are constantly in the shop, working
with our engineers, and craftsmen to perfect the
quality of the putters, in addition to inspecting
new putters coming out of the machines
implementing any design changes we see fit. My
father and I are not hands-off business owners,
and we really enjoy getting involved in the day-
to-day process.
MW: How does Bettinardi incorporate feedback
from customers into the overall design of future
putters?
SB: My father and I both travel to 6-8
PGA Tour events per year, and we work with the
players, listen to feedback they have, then come
home and get to work. If we are interested in a
certain design concept, we bring it to the best
players to hear the critiques and thoughts they
have on certain models, and then design
accordingly for the general public. A lot designs
also start with an idea and a lot of R&D at our
Studio here in Tinley Park, Illinois. The
technology
we have to test these putters is high-class all
the
way, and you will feel the difference when
rolling
a Bettinardi for the first time.
MW: Bettinardi has also moved into different
equipment and product offerings — is there a
desire in the short term to create a total line of
equipment products such as metal clubs and
irons?
SB: You will have to wait and find out for
that answer!
MW: Seeing around the corner in today’s ever
evolving marketplace is any company’s key
concern — what trends do you see happening?
SB:
The trends we see in putters is larger
headshapes
(MOI designs), in addition to anchoring
alternatives such as arm lock and
counterbalance
putters. We have also experimented with face
millings as you can see in our product line we
have our Honeycomb face, our Superfly mill
face,
and our FIT (Feel-Impact-Technology) Face.
These
three millings offer totally different feels on the
same exact putter head, which is another facet
no
one else has done.
About the author Matt Ward
M. James Ward (Matt) 20+ year member of the
following: Golf Writer's Ass'n of America (GWAA)
Met Golf Writer's Ass'n (MGWA) Lives Clifton, NJ
USA 17-years served as national course rating
panelist / Golf Digest Served far shorter time
frame in similar capacity / Golfweek Have
played
over 2,000 courses globally Former Editor-in-
Chief
/ Jersey Golfer Magazine (15 years) Publications
/
sites contributed to include: The Met Golfer,
Fairways and Greens, Links, Inside NJ, Golf &
Travel, back9network, Northeast Golf, Dallas
Morning News, Newark Star-Ledger, among
others.
