Bettinardi Golf

Bettinardi Golf is an American Golf Club company that was founded in 1998 by Robert J. Bettinardi.  Bettinardi Golf is primarily known for making high-end, precision milled putters that are made in the United States of America.  Additionally, Bettinardi Golf sells wedges, belt buckles, and other milled accessories. 

Robert Bettinardi started his work in the putting industry in December 1991 when he walked into a golf shop and saw an advertisement from Callaway for a putter that was milled on a Bridgeport milling machine.  At the time, Bettinardi owned his own manufacturing facility with CNC (computer numerical control) machines that did work for hydraulic companies and the communications industries.  Bettinardi called Callaway who put him in touch with their designer at the time.  Bettinardi was able to pick up work from this particular designer and make all of his putters from 1991-1993.  At the time, putting technology entailed milling the head and the neck of the putter separately, then welding the neck on to the head.   It was during this time that Bettinardi created the first ever one-piece milled putter out of a solid block of steel. 

Other designers in the golf industry noticed Bettinardi’s work which led to Robert making putters for Scotty Cameron from 1993-1998.  All Titleist putters during this timeframe were milled by Robert in his own manufacturing facility and finished in California.  During this time frame, Bettinardi was the go-to for milled putters from all of the other top original equipment manufacturers in the industry. 

In 1998, Robert set out on his own to create his own brand, Bettinardi Golf. 

Bettinardi Golf saw immediate success with victories on tour within the first few years of the company’s founding.  The uniqueness came from the patented Honeycomb milling pattern that Bettinardi created using a jewelers bit to create a perfectly flat face. 

From 2003-2005, Bettinardi aligned with the Ben Hogan Golf company, producing putters for them as “Hogan Milled By Bettinardi”.  The most notable victory during this period came from Jim Furyk at the 2003 US Open played at Olympia Fields CC. 

Bettinardi left Hogan after Spalding, who owned Ben Hogan at the time was purchased by Callaway Golf. 

From 2005-2008, Bettinardi partnered with Mizuno Golf, and again made products under the Mizuno brand named “Mizuno by Bettinardi”.  This partnership lasted three years and at the end of the agreement Bettinardi decided to branch out on his own again. 

In 2009, Robert Bettinardi set out on his own again to craft Bettinardi putters branded as such. 

Since the partnership ended, Bettinardi Golf has earned 10 victories on the PGA Tour, and 3 on the Champions Tour.  Most notably and presently, Matt Kuchar, Fred Couples, Jim Herman, Brian Gay, Edoardo Molinari, and Steven Bowditch use their putters. 

In 2018, at the request of the Philadelphia Eagles, the company produced a limited edition Bettinardi BB1 blade putter featuring engravings honoring the team’s first Super Bowl title with the date and 41-33 final score on the bumpers. 

PGA Tour Wins:

U.S. PGA TOUR

 1999 Greater Greensboro Open- Jesper Parnevik
 2000 Bob Hope Classic- Jesper Parnevik
 2000 Colonial- Phil Mickelson
 2001 WorldCom Classic (Harbourtown) – Jose Coceres
 2002 Honda Classic- Matt Kuchar
 2002 Southern Farm Bureau- Luke Donald
 2002 EMC World Golf Championship- Japanese team of Toshimitsu Izawa and Shigeki Maruyama
 2003 103rd US Open (Major)- Jim Furyk
 2003 Buick Open- Jim Furyk
 2003 Grand Slam of Golf- Jim Furyk
 2004 Buick Open- Vijay Singh
 2004 86th PGA Championship (Major)- Vijay Singh
 2004 Deutsche Bank Championship- Vijay Singh
 2004 The Bell Canadian Open- Vijay Singh
 2005 MCI Heritage (Harbourtown)- Peter Lonard
 2005 The Rex Hospital Open- Eric Axley
 2006 Valero Texas Open- Eric Axely
 2008 Mayakoba Golf Classic- Brian Gay
 2009 Verizon Heritage- Brian Gay
 2009 St. Jude Classic- Brian Gay
 2009 Owens Corning Classic- Yi Eun-jung
 2013 Humana Challenge (Bob Hope)- Brian Gay
 2013 WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship- Matt Kuchar
 2013 Memorial Tournament- Matt Kuchar
 2013 Franklin Templeton Shootout- Matt Kuchar & Harris English
 2014 RBC Heritage- Matt Kuchar
 2015 AT&T Byron Nelson- Steven Bowditch
 2016 Shell Houston Open- Jim Herman
 2018 Quicken Loans National - Francesco Molinari
 2018 Open Championship (Major) Francesco Molinari

CHAMPIONS TOUR

 2013 Charles Schwab Cup Championship- Fred Couples
 2014 Toshiba Classic- Fred Couples
 2014 Shaw Charity Classic- Fred Couples
 2017 Chubb Classic- Fred Couples
 2017 American Family Insurance Championship- Fred Couples

SUNSHINE TOUR

 2014 Zambia Sugar- Lyle Rowe

EUROPEAN TOUR

 2017 Trophee Hassan II- Edoardo Molinari

U.S. LPGA TOUR
 2004 Wegmans Rochester International- Kim Saiki
 2004 Giant Eagle LPGA Classic- Moira Dunn
 2017 Kingsmill Championship- Lexi Thompson
 2017 Indy Women in Tech Championship- Lexi Thompson
 2017 The Race to CME Globe- Lexi Thompson

References

Category:Golf equipment manufacturers