If one were to pose the question: What does Toulon’s latest Small Batch Vista putter have in common with a Rolex watch? It’d be natural to assume it has something to do with the price.
Limited to just 75 pieces, the heel-toe weighted Small Batch Vista goes for $1,800, which isn’t exactly cheap for a putter. The same could be said for a watch bearing the Rolex name.
But price isn’t what ties these products together. It’s actually the numbers and letters stamped on Vista’s toe bumper — “904L,” a callout to the stainless steel used to craft the putter. The 904L is anything but standard stainless steel. The “superaustenitic stainless steel” contains a noticeably higher nickel, copper and chrominum content than other steel variants, making the material more resistant to corrosion.
For a putter, that means you can expect a noticeable uptick in feel — due to the higher nickel content — and durability with 904L.
Rolex remains one of the few watch companies to use 904L in their pieces for similar reasons and has been using the stainless steel since the 1980s, due to its ability to handle high temperatures and resist corrosion.
And what about the Vista name? The blade is named after the city of Vista, California, which sits roughly 40 miles north of San Diego. It’s where Toulon founder Sean Toulon has resided since the 1990s and raised three boys — Tony, Joe and Preston — with wife Kathy.
It also happens to be the locale where Toulon Golf was born. To say Vista is woven into the fabric of the Toulon family would be an understatement.
According to Toulon, the Vista profile is related to the San Diego and Small Batch San Monica models, but it has some distinct features as well. The topline is flatter in the center than the other two models and offers slightly beveled edges for a bit more “crispness.”
The shoulders were also redesigned with a convex shape and milling marks that are visible on top. Both bumpers have been angled upward from the cavity to the heel and toe, giving them a symmetrical look with the tri-sole design that’s found on a number of historical putters, including Tiger Woods’ iconic wand.
Toulon Golf Small Batch Vista specs
Material: 904L Stainless Steel
Face Mill: BB Mid Depth
Finish: Milk Chocolate PVD
Grip: Toulon Special Midsize Pistol
Head Weight: 345 grams
Toe Hang: 45 degrees
Loft: 3 degrees
Lie: 70 degrees
Shaft: Chrome steel
Headcover: Small Batch Leather
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Jonathan Wall is GOLF Magazine and GOLF.com’s Managing Editor for Equipment. Prior to joining the staff at the end of 2018, he spent 6 years covering equipment for the PGA Tour. He can be reached at jonathan.wall@golf.com.