First Look: 2016 Scotty Cameron Select Putters

By: Dave Wolfe

This morning, Scotty Cameron announced his new 2016 Select line of putters.

If historical precedents hold true, this means that some of you are sharpening axes and lighting torches, while the other half dusts off the +5 defending great shields.

Like Mr. Cameron’s work, or not, one can’t really ignore it when he releases something new.

(Queue group with torches saying none of it is new…)

Today is not the day that we need to get into for or against argument though. Instead, let’s just take a look at what will be in the shops for us to roll on April 8th.

Talking Point #1: Multi-Material Construction

This is arguably the most overtly new thing in the Select line. Each of the putters features a new face inlay.

Semantics are important here. According to Mr. Cameron, an inlay is not the same as an insert.

Depending upon the model, you are looking at an inlay made of either stainless steel or aluminum. The obvious advantage here is weight distribution and the resulting MOI impact that the heavier or lighter inlay will produce.

Basically, the traditional blades have the stainless inlay, and the mallets and dual-balance models have the aluminum.

Within the inlay discussion comes one other less obvious feature that may actually have a huge impact upon how these feel: the “high-tech vibration dampening material”. This layer of (assuming) polymer joins the inlay to the body, and represents the true departure from the recent all-metal putter heads that Cameron has been producing of late.

I’ve not rolled these first hand, but the presence of this non-metal layer should make the putters feel far softer than the previous select incarnation.

This, more than any other feature compels me to pick up a Newport 2.5 for head-to-head testing with the older model. My prediction is that the 2016 will definitely feel softer than the traditional 100% stainless.

Talking Point #2: The Models & Specs

The majority of the models in the new line are as expected. Sales of the Newport and Newport 2 have built the Cameron Mansion, sent the Cameron children to college, and pay for the Cameron Jet’s fuel.

The consistent construction of the Select line shouldn’t be shocking though, as the more unique and outside-the-box Cameron Creations seem to show up in the Futura and Golo lines these days.

However, there are some variations with these Selects.

One that pains me but will thrill others is the fact that the Newport now has a sight line. That was one of the last stock, naked putters out there, and I’m sad to see it get a line.

The Newport M1 and Newport M2 look a lot like the fastback and the squareback to me. I’ve not examined them in person, but that’s the vibe I get. Huge kudos dropping the bright red from the alignment cross. I think it looks much better this way.

Like PING’s Anser TR 1966 that I wrote about the other day, these new Camerons come with midsize grips as the stock option. I am sure that you can special order a smaller, or larger grip.

These selects also feature the adjustable weights on the bottom, like previous models, but there is no mention about a change in access to the different weights.

How great would it be if Cameron, like recent Odyssey adjustable models, included a weight kit with each putter?

Talking Point #3: Will you spend the $379?

I remember scraping coin together to buy my first $300 Cameron about six years ago or so. Now they are $379, with the Dual Balance models coming in at $399.

I ask you, are these putters something that you would spend almost $400 on? I will never shy away from spending big bucks on a putter. You use the putter a lot during play, and it is a club where you can add a little bling to the bag.

Is this that putter though? Are you curious about the Newport 2.5 like I am? Are you $379 of curious?

This price places the new Camerons in the same price zone for custom putters from small shops. Is this off the rack Cameron better than the customized-to-your-specs Byron Morgan that you can pick up for similar money?

Answer however you want. I honestly want to know what you think and why.

Personally, I’m a fan of Scotty’s stuff. Not all of it, of course, but I do have a number of his putters in the garage, with the Futura X and Tel3 Newport LN being the favorites. I’m even thinking about joining Club Cameron this year for the first time ever.

I’m no Cameron hater, far from it actually, and I find quite a bit about this release intriguing, but I don’t know that I’ll be pulling cash from pocket come April 8th.

Again, I’m interested in your thoughts.