FIRST LOOK: Bettinardi’s special edition BB1.1 Spring Classic putter

Robert Bettinardi’s success in the equipment industry runs deep. The founder of Bettinardi Golf was at the forefront of a seismic shift on the PGA Tour in the early to mid-90s as players started to gravitate towards milled putters, eventually getting to a point where more than 75 players — roughly 10 were using a one-piece product on Tour in 1993 — were using solid, one-piece construction.

During that time, Bernhard Langer (1993 Masters) and Tiger Woods (1997 Masters) used two putters manufactured by Bettinardi to win major titles.

To pay homage to Betttinardi’s original one-piece milled BB1 head design, the putter manufacturer announced the release of a special BB1.1 Spring Classic ($750) that will be limited to just 275 pieces. The putter head is crafted from soft carbon steel with a constant neck alignment and 303 stainless steel insert. The insert features Bettinardi’s Flymill face milling — the milling extends beyond the insert to the outer bumpers — for a soft, consistent feel at impact.

Each 355-gram head is finished in a “Graphite Grey” PVD; a “Tour Blast” can be found on the 303 stainless steel insert. Some of the design details include engraved azaleas on the sole with a hand-painted green, white and pink color scheme, and a Hex B script in the back cavity.

The putter is outfitted with a perforated leather Gripmaster grip and Spring Classic cover. Bettinardi’s BB1.1 Spring Classic putter will be available May 28 at Bettinardi.com.