SMALL BATCH Dallas
About a year ago our family crossed paths with one of golf’s legendary families — the Trevinos — who like us, run a family golf business. We quickly became friendly with Daniel, son of the effervescent and larger-than-life Lee, who has been busy building his own apparel company — Super Mex Golf – built around and inspired by the legacy of his father. The overlap between our two families was obvious. Two family-owned businesses, one inspired by a father widely considered one of the greatest players of all time, and the other family inspired by a father considered one of the greatest club designers of all time. To work together didn’t just make sense – some might say it was bound to happen.
In 1984 the legendary Lee Trevino was hitting it and chipping it unbelievably well but couldn’t get the ball in the hole on the greens. As the story goes, Lee putted terrible in the 1984 Open, then went to the Dutch Open the next week and hit all 18 greens and had 36 putts in the first round.
It was then his wife Claudia took matters into her own hands by pointing out the champion and runner-up of the ’84 Open had used the same type of putter and maybe he should try it too. Claudia went into the pro shop at the Dutch Open and bought the same model off the rack for $55 dollars.
The putter was horribly out of spec. To adjust the putter, Lee stomped on it in the parking lot to the proper loft and lie. The putter went into play the very next day at the Dutch Open and Lee shot 64. The putter remained in Lee’s bag at Shoal Creek for the 1984 PGA Championship, culminating in a made 15 foot putt on the 72nd hole with Lee kissing the putter Claudia bought out of the pro shop at the Dutch Open.
When we first spoke with Daniel and Lee, the story of the 1984 PGA Championship became too good not to share. Small Batch Dallas was born — a collaboration between the Trevinos and Toulons celebrating the Trevino family’s incredible contributions to the game of golf, launching on December 1st, Lee’s 85th birthday. Happy birthday, Lee. Try not to stomp on this one in the parking lot!
The Head
We endeavored to pay tribute to an underrated putter design used by Lee to win the 1984 PGA Championship, the iconic A-Blade.
As always, we sought to modernize the finished putter so that it is not just nostalgic in all the most beautiful ways, but one that would also play magnificently today at the very highest levels. Putter design has advanced leaps and bounds since the mid-1980s. To modernize Dallas’ small and intrinsically unforgiving footprint, we added a modified H1 hosel, lengthened the blade length to
a modern 4.5 inches and designed a waterfalled and elegant shoulder design that seamlessly flows into the back of the flange.
The larger back cavity design saved us precious grams of weight that could be re-allocated to other areas — in this case by slightly lengthening the blade and adding a fraction of width. This brings the design into modern proportion for both length and width while improving the MOI of the Dallas design to nearly 5,000. This created a putter that is artfully beautiful yet extremely forgiving — matching our intent to recreate this iconic putter in a playable, modern fashion.
The Face
The face mill pattern is a Fine Double Fly Cut with a Small Tuna over mill whose intent is similar to this project’s overall mission: pay homage to a legendary, beautiful, iconic shape without compromising on performance. The face mill creates a plush feel and a pleasing sound, and paired with our favorite stainless steel, 904L, perfectly marries artistry and performance.
The Sole
The artwork on the sole was designed to be minimal and clean. Humble, stately and inviting, celebrating the spirit of Lee himself. It features the unmistakable Super Mex sombrero and the iconic D of Dallas, Lee’s hometown. Our intricate micro milling on the sole resides quietly in the background, yielding the stage in tribute to the legendary Lee Trevino.
The Rest of the Package
Working with the Trevino family it was clear that the finished putter needed to feel like an old friend, evoking the fond memory that the old A-Blade provided. We chose a Milk Chocolate PVD to add the nostalgic nod the Trevinos wanted. The paint fill was kept to a minimum, showcasing the slow-milling process we used. Sparse amounts of Vintage Cream paint are used in the back cavity, which proudly features Lee’s signature, as well as the Toulon name and sightline. The face was left naked, while the sole engravings feature a bit more flair with Red and Royal Blue colors often associated with Dallas. The grip is a special blackout version of the Toulon Deep Etched grip, with a KBS Stepless CT Tour chrome shaft.
To protect this rare piece, we teamed with our friends at Seamus Golf to bring the spirit of Dallas alive with the special headcover that features a particular leather chosen specifically for this occasion — aptly named Whiskey Outlaw.
For the final touches, there are two Lee Trevino themed ball markers — one with his iconic Super Mex sombrero logo, and the other a soda bottle as a nod to Lee’s ability to chip with a Dr. Pepper bottle on the practice green.
The Small Batch Dallas, nostalgic yet modern down to the last detail.
