SMALL BATCH Valhalla
In collaboration with the club, we aimed to capture the spirit of the great state of Kentucky — horse racing, bourbon and championship golf. With that in mind as our inspiration for the design we got underway.
The state is perhaps most famous for the Kentucky Derby and its equestrian culture, so we wanted to make sure that spirit was alive in the design of the head.
The opposing thoroughbreds on the sole are meant to recall past racing greats and the entry ways to some of the sprawling equestrian estates that dot the Kentucky landscape.
We developed a new finish specifically for this project and called it Kentucky Bourbon, an homage to the world-class bourbon and distilleries hailing from the state. And of course we have the incredible venue and the club itself — Valhalla. The 2024 PGA Championship is the fourth time Valhalla has hosted the event, and the venue also played host to the stirring 2008 Ryder Cup.
The Head
In collaboration with the club, we aimed to capture the spirit of the great state of Kentucky — horse racing, bourbon and championship golf. With that in mind as our inspiration for the design we got underway.
The state is perhaps most famous for the Kentucky Derby and its equestrian culture, so we wanted to make sure that spirit was alive in the design of the head.
The opposing thoroughbreds on the sole are meant to recall past racing greats and the entry ways to some of the sprawling equestrian estates that dot the Kentucky landscape.
We developed a new finish specifically for this project and called it Kentucky Bourbon, an homage to the world-class bourbon and distilleries hailing from the state. And of course we have the incredible venue and the club itself — Valhalla. The 2024 PGA Championship is the fourth time Valhalla has hosted the event, and the venue also played host to the stirring 2008 Ryder Cup.
The Rest of the Package
With a mission to improve forgiveness and performance in a blade putter, we milled a substantial cavity in the sole underneath the 6061 Aircraft Aluminum sole plate. This enabled us to add a bit of length to the blade to improve inertia, but also removed precious grams of weight from the center of the design, allowing us to push more weight to the perimeter. The result is a striking look and world class performance in sound, feel and forgiveness.
Time was spent softening each radius while keeping the square tailored look of this shape. Soft yet crisp was the design intent, and every detail was meticulously addressed. Particular attention was focused on the top line thickness and radius, giving it a thinner but balanced look. A simple sight dot finishes off the look at address.
The Valhalla face is milled with a Fine Double Fly cut with our Big Tuna over-mill, yielding a crisp, responsive feel. Once milling is completed, the head is beautifully hand-polished to its final shape. Valhalla is finished in a brilliant Kentucky Bourbon PVD and accented with Kentucky Blue and Cool Gray paint fills.
The final nod to Kentucky’s equestrian roots is the head cover made with an alternating blue and white diamond pattern to resemble a jockey’s silk. We finished the head cover off with a cask to honor Kentucky’s passion for bourbon.
This is Valhalla, the pride of Kentucky golf — steeped in the traditions of Kentucky — horse racing, bourbon and world class championship golf.
