Pimp My Putter

Scotty Cameron is the longtime Stradivarius of putters, esteemed maker of flatsticks for oodles of golf's top pros, including Tiger Woods, Ernie Els and Adam Scott.

His meticulously milled work, especially of handcrafted prototype models, has produced a buzz online at message boards and forums devoted to his creations, as well as an avid collectors' market: panting Cameronistas will pay almost any price for a rare make.

His latest endeavor, Scotty's Custom Shop, is beginning to generate similar excitement.

As it happens, among my dozens of putters is a 10-year-old Cameron, a left-handed carbon steel Newport model reminiscent of Ping's famous Anser.

(Cameron used to be criticized in some circles for a lack of formal innovation -- which always struck me as beside the point of superior craftsmanship -- but in recent years, his designs have taken a more adventuresome tack.)

I was a young staffer at a small golf magazine in New York City when my boss, then engaged to be married, ordered a Cameron for each of his groomsmen and threw in one in for me.

He was, needless to say, the nicest boss I've ever had. ...