MISTWOOD GOLF DOME is open for the winter season daily until 10 Pm. Andy Mickelson (L) Mistwood’s Director of Golf is the 2023 Illinois PGA Player of the Year. (R) it’s time to get he Mistwood golf dome stocking hat. Find out how, call (630)-739-7600.

THE GOG BLOG by RORY SPEARS, Director of Content and Creation for Golfers on Golf. Follow Rory on Twitter @GogBlogGuy or connect LinkedIn/Facebook/Instagram.

BETTINARDI STUDIO “B” is now open in Oak Brook. The most advanced putting studio many golfers will ever see, if they take the time to visit. The good news is that for those who live downtown, in the western or northern suburbs. There is no longer a need to drive all the way south to Tinley Park, a location that formerly was only convenient for south suburban customers.

MORE FROM RORY SPEARS: Recently I made my first visit to the new Bettinardi Studio “B” in Oak Brook and it won’t be my last. It was amazing what I saw. So just when you think you know a lot about something, you find out you really don’t. The data I was exposed to in many cases, were things I never knew went into a really solid and advanced putter fitting.

What’s even more amazing is that golfers don’t need to travel to California to experience this studio. Studio “B” is more than just a SAM Putt Lab, you might say it’s a Hive of Information. The putter you leave with might be the creation of a lifetime, your creation. Not what some major equipment company sells, and that you have to pick from. Studio “B” feels like somewhere that touring professionals would go to be fitted, a place that would be restricted to someone with a tour card. But it’s not. You can tune up for a fitting with a steak before or after from Michael Jordan’s steakhouse across the hallway. Studio “B” is across the street from Oak Brook Mall.

Rory putting with a BB style putter. Photo by John Billiter. Rimmy Dunlop (L) looks on.

General Manager David Kubiak PGA, who spent 10 years at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, before working the professional tours as the Bettinardi rep-and now runs Studio “B” was my tour guide.

During my session in the putting studio, fitters Connor Williams and Rimmy Dunlop assisted Kubiak. Okay so it took three people to get me on track. But in less than hour, Kubiak pretty much has figured what kind of putter should end up in my bag. Down the road I will see if he is correct. Bettinardi founder and owner Bob Bettinardi is anxious to hear stories about me making putts outdoors come 2024. So I hope to have a few to tell him. RS

REPLICA PUTTERS that hang on the Bettinardi Wall of Champions include, Francesco Molinari’s 2018 Open Championship putter (L) and Matt Fitzpatrick’s 2022 U.S. Open Championship putter (R).

Welcome to The Hive.

But one part of the tour, includes a visit to “The Hive”, where you find the most advanced putters, that come with real creativity involved.

So when one enters “The Hive” you find walls full of amazing putters, with features developed over the years.

Because here is where one sits with a Bettinardi representative, to create the putter a golfer simply has to have.

So do you need a special length, face, width, shaft location, color or milling. The Hive is where this type of putter gets designed.

But to take a step back, one enters the putting studio first. Where you start rolling putts, and where your data starts to add up, so you can build a putter that make putts, so your score doesn’t start adding up in the wrong direction.

Build it here-yes a majority of the time you will leave Studio B with the putter you selected to be right for you.

GOOD NEWS is that you get fitted in Studio B, and you likely leave Studio B that day with putter in hand.

So unless you have created a special edition putter, you do not leave the studio empty handed.

Because there is no, put in your order, then Oak Brook sends it to Tinley Park, and then you wait for some delivery service to show up at your home, office or club. So the pick it out and take it home concept is winning golfers over. Bettinardi putters are built here in the USA, not in China.

So how did Bettinardi golf get started. Bob Bettinardi was making and milling products for the U.S. Government, then he became a golf fanatic. One day after studying a putter he had from a major golf company. Bob started to make calls, he finally learned enough where he could take his ideas to bigger designers, before branching out on his own.

The data screen that hangs on the wall, tracks information and stats about your putting stroke, that you never knew about before.

Bob Bettinardi’s son Sam is now part of the family business. The father & son partnership has been a winner.

Bob takes great delight when his tour players win tournaments. Especially majors.

Francesco Molinari struck first, winning the British Open in 2018. At one point as Molinari lined up a putt, his putter was shown close up on television. The world saw the Bettinardi name for 6-7 seconds on the screen. Bettinardi learned what that meant, as shortly after Molinari lifted the Claret Jug, Bettinardi’s phones started ringing like crazy.

Bob Bettinardi will tell you. “The industry slogan is-what wins on Sunday, sells on Monday.”  So when Matt Fitzpatrick won the U.S. Open in 2022, Bettinardi took off for his pool, still dressed in his clothes, not a swimsuit and leaped in. Yelling to his wife to order some Champagne.

CLICK HERE TO HEAR the full interview with Bob Bettinardi. Bob tells the history on the founding of Bettinardi Golf, some of the partners the company has, how his wife the designer, is the true star in the creation of “Studio B”.

So if your looking for a new putter, or need to know more about putting, and how to improve your putting stroke, visit Bettinardi.com. or visit the studio at 1225 W. 22nd Street in Oak Brook (630)-819-8592. Take your putting to the next level.