Some putters are meant to make birdies. This one was meant to keep a promise.
A client reached out with a request that stopped me in my tracks. He wanted a putter that honored his fallen brothers — Marines who gave everything. This wasn’t about golf. This was about carrying their memory onto every green, every course, for the rest of his life.
I knew immediately this putter had to be different.
The Alignment Line: A Green Tip Bullet
For the alignment line — the first thing you see when you set up over a putt — we used a real green tip bullet. I popped the primer to make it inert, then set it into the top of the putter head. It’s subtle enough that most people on the course won’t notice right away, but when they do, it starts a conversation. And that conversation is the whole point.
Every time someone asks about that bullet, my client gets to tell the story of the men it represents. That’s the kind of immortality these heroes deserve.
The Names Around the Sides
Around the perimeter of the putter, I engraved the names of his fallen brothers. The design draws from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial — that long, solemn wall in Washington, D.C. where you can reach out and touch a name and feel the weight of sacrifice.
I wanted that same feeling in miniature. When you hold this putter, you’re holding their names in your hands. You’re carrying them with you.
Eagle, Globe, and Anchor
On the bottom of the putter — the part only the owner really sees — I engraved the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor, the emblem of the United States Marine Corps. Alongside it, my client’s name and rank. It’s his personal connection to the brotherhood, a reminder that he served alongside these men and that their bond didn’t end when they left the battlefield.
Why These Putters Matter
I’ve made putters with gold nuggets, circuit boards, rare woods, and celebrity memorabilia. But the memorial putters hit different. They remind me why I do this work.
A putter is something you use for decades. It travels with you. It’s in your hands during some of your most peaceful moments on earth — a quiet morning round, a sunset nine with your best friends. There’s no better place to carry the memory of someone you love.
I’ve embedded challenge coins from Air Assault graduations. I’ve used wood from childhood homes that were torn down. I’ve turned a grandfather’s Irish shillelaghs into something his family will pass down for generations. Every single one of these putters has made someone cry — including me, more than once.
Your Story Belongs in a Putter
If there’s someone in your life whose memory deserves to be honored — or someone living who deserves to know how much they mean to you — I’d love to help you figure out how to tell that story through a custom putter.
Every project starts with a phone call. You don’t need to have it all figured out. Some of my best designs came from a client saying, “I don’t know what I want, but here’s who it’s for.” That’s all I need to get started.
Gone, but never forgotten. Semper Fidelis.