A Putter Rising from the Ashes

As 2025 comes to a close, we at PUTTERPARTS are reflecting on how fortunate we are to be in this business; it's a privilege to work with all of our customers. Our intent goes beyond supplying parts, and we find a lot of joy in helping improve the art of putting. Golf is more than just a game, but an opportunity to connect with others and hear their stories whether it's a pro on a mini-tour or a club that is special to a family, who want to keep it going, especially after a tragedy. One of the keys to success in any business is listening to customers, and we hope you enjoy Leo's short story below.

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You Have ~1 Hour, Grab What you can and GO!

It's January 2025, and the fresh new near has started, but it was a nightmare come true for many like Leo from Altadena, California. The aftermath of the Eaton Fire in the pictures depicts the tragic loss, affecting many families across the region where most of their belongings perished. The media coverage was at times focused on Hollywood elites losing "one of their houses", but many hardworking families lost the only place they call home. The fires raged quickly and they had just a few hours to pick what was most important and get away as quickly as possible.

According to Leo, "We lost our home on the night of January 8th in the Eaton fire. Luckily our family of 4 were able to evacuate, but we only had about an hour to pack up. We filled up 2 cars worth of stuff and unfortunately my golf bag did not make the cut."

In the rubble to the left, there is a TaylorMade Rossa putter somewhere. Though our expertise is not fundraising or home insurance, what we can offer is to rebuild Leo's putter for him.

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Putter Recovered

So what does a putter look like after a fire? As you can see, the stainless steel was torched into a unique, battle-worn mixture of green, charcoal and black. The aluminum insert melted away along with the logos, the grip completely burned away and the shaft is annealed to the point of being useless.

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The Plan

Step 1: a new milled Aircraft Aluminum or Tellurium Copper face insert. The stainless steel head survived and a new milled face will have this putter performing better than ever.

We could blast it to bare metal, but the patina look from the heat cannot be replicated. It makes this putter 1 of 1, and it also could be interpreted as scars after a battle where Leo has triumphed and putted again with his favorite TaylorMade putter.

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Why Rebuild a Putter?

Leo got the TaylorMade Rossa putter about 12 years ago to replace a previous set he really did not like. Leo adds, "I shopped around for a bit and when I saw this one, I took it as a sign since my wife’s name is Rosa. So I told her it was named after her, with an extra S."

Leo's Favorite Putting Memory: "I remember hitting a 45 ft putt on 18 at DeBell GC in Burbank with it. It made up for an otherwise terrible scoring day."

This business is tough, there are many, brands, variants with the same name, and sometimes not every project is a profit. However, when you read stories like above, there's no better motivation than to get the club back on the green for someone who will appreciate it. Putters are not just tools of the game, but they have memories, meaning and they are the club we use the most.

There's a lot to rebuild after a tragedy, and it takes time, but a symbol like a rebuilt club can be a positive force on the long road to recovery.

More progress to come on this story in the next blog post. Bring on 2026 and email support@putterparts.com with any putter needs.