Never a frown with Golden Brown: Toulon Golf '24 Collection San Diego Putter is a thing of beauty

Since deciding to become an independent brand again, Sean Toulon and his sons have one goal in mind – to make the most beautiful golf clubs on the planet. The First Run is a fantastic start.

The original Toulon Design putters were a curiosity to those involved in the golf industry. Started in 2015 by Sean Toulon, a legend in the hallways of TaylorMade Golf and a titan of club design, alongside his sons, the company was created to challenge the biggest names in the putter market by utilizing modern design elements mixed with an old-school mentality of establishing feel and feedback at the forefront of the product. In short, become one of the best putter makers available to golfers.

While the first models did have promise, with a ‘vacuum brazing’ process and custom-weighted sole plates, the company was quickly acquired by Callaway Golf. Sean acted as a Senior Vice President of the brand and took the General Manager’s position within the Odyssey Putter section of Callaway’s business.

Odyssey-Toulon still released models in 2019 and 2022, but the focus on the mainline Odyssey models took precedence. In his eight years with the Odyssey team, Toulon oversaw the launch of the O-Works models, the Stroke Lab advancement, and the return of the White Hot OG line, to name just a few.

Fast forward to 2023, Sean Toulon decided to move back into the boutique market (with support from Callaway) and have a second go at creating a brand that has both a family name and a standout product – their new 2024 First Run collection.

We recently spent time with Sean discussing his life, the golf industry, and the game itself, as well as where he sees his namesake company going in the future, which you can find here. But, for now, let’s take a look at the putter itself.

Sugar Sweet – Looks 5/5

There’s no beating around the bush with this putter. It’s an astonishingly beautiful piece of equipment.

I’d ordered the San Diego model, a classic blade head that I have had plenty of experience with over the years. It’s a boxier look, with square edges and sharper lines than the Austin or Madison models also offered, although the bumpers are still softer than previous versions.

Toulon putters are named after US locations — the aforementioned Madison being named after Sean Toulon’s hometown in Wisconsin, for instance — instead of numbers or heritage names, like Ping’s Anser, but the shape is very reminiscent of the Cameron Newport 2 model.

Scotty Cameron putters are often held up as the gold standard in high-quality putter design, the Rolls-Royce of the industry, so comparing anything new back to them is, by Toulon’s own admission, a compliment in and of itself.

But the company isn’t content with only being compared to Cameron’s designs, it wants to surpass them. As soon as the club was in my hands that intent was clear.

The headcover is a premium material with a plush, firm feel in the hands that inspires confidence in the putter being protected (vital with a putter of this expense and quality).

Removing the headcover, you’re met with one of the most unique finishes you’ll likely see in golf. It’s called ‘Brilliant Chocolate’ and while that might sound more like a paint label on a bucket of Valspar or Dulux, it’s an incredibly apt description of what you’ll be looking at.

If you’re feeling particularly unromantic, you might be tempted to just call this color ‘Brown,’ but you wouldn’t be doing it any justice at all. The head glistens in the sunshine as you inspect it, with the right angles highlighting the milling where the putter has been cut from a block of steel. It instantly brings forth a song from my mind – Golden Brown by The Stranglers – with the more aurum evening light producing an almost honey-dipped hue to the San Diego.

The little touches of the aqua/mint accenting the ‘Toulon’ and ‘San Diego’ branding enhance the contrast of the finish as well, making it obvious which model you’ve chosen for your game. You’ll also feel unique in a world of black, white, and gray (or occasionally red) highlighting that you see in the majority of putters these days. The mint stands out and, ironically for the usual suspect colors I’ve just listed, makes it look classier and more timeless than anything else you care to hold up against it.

I love looking down at this if that wasn’t already obvious. I hadn’t expected something that different from my previous Toulon San Diego, the 2022 Odyssey edition with the matte black finish, but now, when I compare them side-by-side, the older model feels a bit dull and lifeless to me. Extraordinary, considering it’s been the only stalwart in my bag these last few years!

The shaft and grip help complete the eye-candy look. You get a choice of either gloss or matte black shafts and either softer, textured grips or Lamkin Deep Etch options. Toulon also offers a heavier 380g head weight on certain models that come complete with an XL grip for balance and control if you prefer that option.

Uncomplicated Consistency – Technology 3/5

This isn’t going to be the largest section of the review, purely down to the purpose of these putters. Ultimately, they are meant to be aesthetically driven instead of putting technology at the forefront of the design.

The heads are cut from a block of 303 Stainless Steel, a material you’ll be familiar with if you’re a putter aficionado, so it’s not out of the ordinary there although we know that 303 makes a high-quality metal for creating flatsticks, for both feedback and because of it’s oxidation resistance. In short, it’ll stop your expensive new putter from rusting if there’s moisture caught in the headcover after you’ve finished playing.

One of the more interesting elements is the change of face milling in the Toulon First Run. The Diamond Pattern seen before is gone, replaced with a Double Fly-Cut milling choice. Toulon Golf says this produces a richer sound and more pronounced feedback than before, and I’d be inclined to agree. There’s a clear, audible difference when comparing the two, which we’ll talk about in a moment. The Double Fly-Cut also stretches across the entire face, giving consistent sound wherever you might strike it.

From the view of setup, Toulon offer customization to Loft, Lie, Grip, Shaft (including Mitsubishi’s Diamana P graphite option), and Weighting so you can make the putter entirely your own. There isn’t currently the option to add things like stamping to any of the models, but I honestly don’t see why you’d want to ruin these putters by adding another name to them – they’re meant to look minimalist, after all.

Feel First – Performance 5/5

Despite all the gushing that I’ve done over the looks of the Toulon putters, they still need to do their job – it’s a tool for getting the ball in the hole in as few strokes as possible, after all. It’s so beautiful that you could just mount this on a display if you really wanted, but I sincerely hope you don’t waste it on that.

I’ve experimented outside of blade putters over the years, but I inevitably go back to them every time. For me, a putter head that suits a natural release always works better and I’ve become accustomed to that feeling. The San Diego model fits into my stroke perfectly, and it was like being reunited with a good friend I hadn’t seen for a long time; you just pick up where you left off.

Now granted, I use this shape anyway so it shouldn’t be a surprise to me that it was comfortable, but it’s not just familiarity with the head that made the transition easy. That feedback difference I mentioned from the milling pattern change is very welcome and has been from the first putt. It’s a deeper noise but one that’s far less muted than previously so my ability to pick up on feel across the face has been enhanced even more.

I love the noise and feedback from the putter, but with the additional toe and heel weights, I don’t feel like there’s as much of a drop-off in the roll distance from slight mishits, with virtually all my shots finishing within a foot of where I expected to see them.

Don’t get me wrong, this is still a blade, and the punishment for poor strikes is still to be expected, but if you are a player who finds the middle consistently, or just one looking for the purity of the old-school design, this is everything you want from a classic model on the course.

The release is smooth and predictable, and feedback is immediate and clear, letting you know exactly what will happen every time. This puts the onus to perform back on you, not in any engineering hidden behind the face. It’s just down to you as a person whether that thought inspires or terrifies you.

Final Score 5/5

Technically, on our scoring chart, this should be a 4.5 out of 5 for our rating, but I’m not going by the calculations because this putter wasn’t built by, nor for, numbers on a spreadsheet. The one category the putter loses out on is technology, but this is not meant to be the cutting edge of the market. This putter is not a Tesla, it’s a Jaaaaag (a classic Jaguar as well, not the weird rebranded one).

If you want high tech I suggest looking at LAB Golf’s latest and greatest or considering the likes of the TaylorMade Spider, both phenomenal putters in their own rights.

But buying a Toulon is a commitment to incredible craftsmanship and near-flawless style. This is not just a club to be hit towards a target; this is something meant to be enjoyed every time it’s struck and to leave you in awe every time the headcover comes off, from the first time to the last.

The fastest time around the Nurburgring is impressive for sure, but sometimes you can’t beat the purity of a drive through the mountains just to take in the views and feel the quality construction in your hands.

About the author

Lewis Daff

Lewis joined the Today’s Golfer digital team in 2024, having spent more than a decade in both big-box golf retail and independent stores working as a club fitter and builder.

Experienced with every level of golfer, from beginner to professional, he has achieved Master Fitter and Builder status with most major manufacturers, including Mizuno, Taylormade, and Callaway, helping him to cement both a wide and deep knowledge base, ideal for helping guide golfers towards the correct equipment for them. Lewis specializes in Clubs, Shafts, Training Aids, Launch Monitors and Grips.

In Lewis’ bag is Titleist GT3 Driver (9º) with Fujikura Ventus Black, TaylorMade SIM Max Fairway Woods (15º and 18º), Wilson Staff D9 Forged 3-iron, Srixon ZX7 MKii Irons (4-PW), Titleist SM9 Wedges (52º, 60º), Toulon San Diego Putter, and the Titleist ProV1X Left Dash.

Talk to Lewis about why steel shafts are now dead and graphite is the only way forward, or any other equipment you’d like to debate, via his email, Instagram, or Bluesky.

RRP: $600 | VIEW US | £600 | VIEW UK

Head Options: Blade | Madison / San Diego / Austin / New York | Mallet | Memphis / Las Vegas / Alcatraz / Atlanta

Finish: Brilliant Chocolate

Loft: Customizable between 2-4°

Length: 33" - 38"

Lie: 68-72°

Head Weight: 360g (Heavy Spec at 380g, comes with 15" grip)

Suited stroke: Slight Arc (with San Diego tested)