The Craftsman

Which model do you use, and why?

I get this question all the time and my best answer is "yes." I constantly try everything I make plus my competitors putters. I try to keep an open mind and constantly improve on what I’ve done in the past. If another putter is better in one way or another then I need to find a way to improve on what they’ve done. Once you think you know everything then you’ve stopped learning and it’s time to hang up your gloves.

How important is the Asia market for Guerin Design?

I think the Asian market is vital to the future growth of golf. Asia has over half the world’s population. In the US there are approximately 30 million golfers, about 10% of the total population. Japan, Korea, and Europe total around 20 million. If 1% of the combined population of China and India (about 2.6 billion people) played golf that would be 27 million new golfers.

I design and manufacture precision milled putters with cutting edge performance technology. Asian golfers have a greater respect and appreciation for my type of putter than the more price conscious US and European golfers. Everyone likes a beautifully designed and solid feeling forged-milled putter. The Asian golfer has a greater willingness to pay for that extra quality. Since launching my Guerin brand 90% of my sales have been to Japan and Korea.

What do you have in the pipeline, and do you ever see yourself diversifying into wedges or other equipment?

I am developing a new players' mid mallet that I will call the GR5 and a wider blade style design that will be called the GR6. These will compliment my current GR1 flange blade and GR3 full mallet. Together they will satisfy 80% of the putter styles golfers are looking for. While these are traditional designs I give them my design touches and load them up with performance technology.

As for other equipment it’s just The RollBoard for now. This is a patented velvet covered board that instantly shows a golfer how a golf ball comes off the face of their putter immediately after impact - no smoke and mirrors, the truth. The velvet has a one-way nap that is disturbed by the contact of a ball on the surface. So a typical standard non-grooved putter will hit a low chip that will hop and skip and not start rolling for 60 inches on a 20-foot putt.

For years after I invented putter face grooves the only way to show how my putters rolled the ball better was to get up early in the morning when dew was still resting on the surface of a putting green. The dew would show how the ball rolled or didn’t roll. The RollBoard does the exact same thing. Virtually everyone I fit in my putting studio purchases a RollBoard to show their friends how quickly the ball rolls with their new Gueirn putter. It’s nice when your customers become your sales force.

Guerin Design putters are priced at HK$2,480 (including shipping within Hong Kong) and are available for purchase through the HK Golfer Store at or at Pura Golf in Sheung Wan.