First Look: 2017 Toulon Design Putters (5 Models)

2017 Toulon Putters – General Info:

• Number of Models: 5 (Austin, Columbus, Long Island, Latrobe, & Indianapolis)
• Material: Fully milled 303 Stainless
• Face: Deep Diamond Face Milling
• Weight: Variable, based upon aluminum, stainless, or tungsten sole plate
• Grip: Standard or counterbalanced SuperStroke (25g or 50g)
• Pricing: $399-$499 depending on counterbalancing.
• Street date: April 14, 2017

Callaway’s official embargo-lifted announcement of the 2017 lineup of Toulon putters is a bit odd. Information about the putters themselves has been out for the better part of two months, so to no small degree, this is a bit of a strange official re-release. The tinfoil hat wearer in me finds it at least a bit curious that this re-announcement of sorts comes on the heels of the release of a new line of Cameron putters.

Could be nothing, could be something… Regardless, we thought you might want to have a look.

Your Toulon Refresher

Back in 2015, Sean Toulon left TaylorMade and started up his own putter company. Independence didn’t last for long though as in 2016, Toulon Putters became a part of the Odyssey Golf stable, with Sean Toulon becoming Callaway/Odyssey’s Senior Vice President in charge of putters.

That’s a good couple of years there for Mr. Toulon.

In the first year of their new partnership, Toulon/Odyssey released five putters, including both blade and mallet designs. The designs were primarily classics, but there were some unique Toulon touches in there.

This year, Toulon will be doubling its putter offerings by adding five additional models. Again, the theme is primarily interpretation of classic designs, with additions of Toulon flavor. That, and include a totally wild and outside the box high-MOI mallet.

If nothing else, all of this proves suggests that Callaway’s acquisition of Toulon Design wasn’t 100% about Sean Toulon the man. It appears that continuing to build the semi-boutique putter brand remains part of the plan.

Before we look at these new models, let’s look at the design tech found in Toulon putters.

2017 Toulon Putters: Key Features

Milled from 303 Stainless Steel

• Every head is milled from a solid block of soft 303 stainless steel. Every curve, radius, and line is painstakingly rendered. The face alone takes 40 minutes to mill.

Deep Diamond Mill Face Pattern

• The “contact patch” at the center of the face incorporates crosshatch grooves that form a pattern on the face that strategically channels vibration to promote a uniquely satisfying sound and feel.

Interchangeable Sole Plates to Increase/Reduce Head Weight

• Easily increase or reduce head weight by installing the aluminum sole plate (total head weight 350g), stainless steel sole plate (363g), or tungsten sole plate (383g).

Choice of Two Counterbalance Weights

• SuperStroke offers the option of installing a 25g or 50g counterbalance plug into the butt-end of the grip. Configuring the sole plate/counterbalance in different weight combinations create a variety of ways to customize the putter’s feel and fit it to your style of release, whether moderate or aggressive.

It should also be noted that two of the designs, the Columbus and the Austin, were featured as part of a Limited Edition (non-Odyssey stamp) run shortly after Callaway acquired Toulon, but before the companies were integrated.

Toulon Indianapolis

 

Introducing the Indianapolis, our first foray into the world of super-high MOI mallets. Every single detail has been examined and perfected. We channeled the engineering spirit of IndyCar race car technicians, past and present, and crafted a design that incorporated multiple materials. The face is made up of aircraft grade 6061-aluminum, giving you a soft, crisp feel. The sole is made of 303 stainless steel, and the crown is made up of a lightweight carbon fiber composite.

As you’d expect, the majority of the shapes in the new lineup are traditional…conventional. The Indianapolis, however, is anything but. It’s the crazy one in the Toulon lineup. Without question, it’s the most radical shape Toulon has produced to date.

For that reason, the Indianapolis stands out as the most exciting/must roll putter in the collection. The multi-material construction and racecar aesthetic has piqued my interest. It’s the first new Toulon model that I’ll roll balls with next month.

While we’ll hopefully be able to tell you more once we get some samples in-hand, members of the MyGolfSpy staff had a chance to try the Indy at the recent PGA Show and came away impressed. “I’m definitely not a mallet guy,” said MyGolfSpy Editor, Tony Covey, “but the shape is cool, and I love the way it rolls.”

Regardless of whether you see that shape as Indy car or back end of a bull shark, it’s a putter you’re going to want to try, if only for the unique shape.

About the Toulon Indianapolis

Unique Shape and Appearance

• Indy’s shape is unique, compelling and immediately identifiable, with a refined, appealing look that sets it apart from most high-MOI putters.
• 5400+ MOI measurement for exceptional stability and forgiveness.
• The “wings” on the back were inspired by the wings on an Indy car’s nosecone.

Multi-materials and Weighting

• Front/face consists of soft 6061 aluminum; weighs 65g.
• Lightweight carbon-fiber crown allows more weight to be positioned in the sole and wings for high MOI.
• Sole consists of 303 stainless steel; weighs 180g.
• Two tungsten weights, located at the bottom of each wingtip for stability; each one weighs 25g.
• Sophisticated, 17-piece construction requires significant time and effort to build.

Center of Gravity

• CG is low and positioned approximately 1.5” behind the face, a location that promotes smooth roll and maximum twist-resistance on off-center hits.

The rest of the 2017 Toulon lineup consists of modern shapes tweaked with Toulon technology. While there’s nothing that leaps off the page here, the classic designs should appeal to the traditionalist in a way that that Indianapolis never will.

Toulon Austin

The Austin is truly a timeless design. To the untrained eye, it resembles a Madison. However, upon closer inspection, especially to the putter aficionado, the differences are obvious. The Austin features taller back bumpers that slope aggressively into the wider back cavity. While the bumpers slope steeply, the edges are stunningly rounded for an ultra-clean look. The smaller shoulders melt effortlessly into the bumpers, giving you a pleasingly soft aesthetic.

Toulon Long Island

Milled from 303 stainless steel, this pin-tail cavity design has been painstakingly shaped. Every edge has been chamfered and softened, the corners beautifully rounded, and the top line and leading edges appropriately radiused. The slightly longer blade length increases the blade’s inertia, making this also a very forgiving putter. Our new H6 hosel design was specifically designed for the Long Island.

Toulon Columbus

The Toulon Design Columbus is a beautiful notchback blade style putter that features an H2 neck. The notchback design of the Columbus adds more weight to the perimeter of the putter, increasing MOI, and making it a very stable feeling putter. This also means it is more forgiving on off-center strikes. The notchback look provides an additional alignment feature; pair that with the other key lines on the Columbus, and you have a putter that is simple to align properly.

Toulon Latrobe

The Latrobe is our version of perhaps the most popular putter in history. The H7 hosel flows flawlessly into the blade, complementing the soft edges of the putter. The look at address evokes both classic beauty and timeless sophistication. Although the Latrobe was designed with one eye on history, we still needed to make it suitable for the present. With that in mind, we added a custom 40 or 50-gram sole plate to bring the head weight to 340 or 350 grams respectively.

For more information about Toulon Design and the 2017 lineup, visit ToulonDesign.com.