Toulon Golf releases new gauge inspired by ’86, Small Batch Columbus

today Toulon Golf is releasing their newest Small Batch machines; Columbus of the small group. SB Columbus is a celebration of what many in the golf world see as the greatest Masters victory in tournament history: Jack Nicklaus in 1986.

As Jack’s final “I’m still here” moment, the 1986 Masters is still talked about every year and remembered by an iconic photograph of him hoisting his ball into the sky in a now infamous outfit. But that shooter? There was a much bigger story to it. This is the story of the new Toulon Golf Small Batch Columbus.

In 1986 Jack Nicklaus took home the trophy using a MacGregor Response MI 615 ZT. A meter you can buy for about $40 on eBay. ZT standing for Zero Twist, which yes, was an early contender for the current Zero Torque trend that we see widely adopted in the modern game.

The idea behind the Zero Twist was that if you could build the gauge large enough with the sinker in the right place, the putter would be more stable when hitting the putt and offer a better chance of spinning the shot. Again, yes, the same story we are given today with the super low torque finger lift style machines. However, the irony is that Jack was playing terribly going into the Masters.

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As part of this Small Batch project, the Toulon family enlisted the help of Clay Long. Clay is an iconic, Hall-of-Fame-level club designer, junkie, nerd, and one of the biggest behind-the-scenes personalities in the game of golf. He is actually the one who created the nail that won in 1986.

In a video on Toulon Golf’s website, he tells Preston Toulon that they had no idea the player was going to enter the game. Jack’s first introduction to the shooter was an accident. As the owner of MacGregor at the time, Jack did not regularly attend sales meetings. But in 1985, he decided to join. As part of that sales meeting, Jack would go to the store to check out their new high-tech woodworking robot. You read that right. On his way to check it out, Clay stopped him and showed him the new Response set, including the 615. Jack’s first impression: “Is this a joke?”

Fast forward to a phone call from Jack showing interest in the putter after testing at home, getting him some black rather than silver finishes, and the player playing some lackluster tournaments before the Masters including a few missed cuts, Jack shows up to Augusta with the putter. MacGregor was already thrilled with their sales figures with the player having had success at the PGA Show earlier in the year, and Jack playing the player on tour. They actually expected Jack to trade it back in with an old George Lowe model. Instead, he wins.

His 1986 win is still considered one of, if not the best Masters moment in the history of the tournament. He wasn’t playing well. He wasn’t leading on Sunday, in fact he started 6 strokes behind the leader. Nothing about that day had to end with winning the Masters. Just like nothing about the MacGregor Response series was supposed to set sales records for a company with a dying lineup. But odds be damned, they did it. And Small Batch Columbus celebrates that triumph.

Small Batch Columbus is a nod to the original design, with tweaks for the modern game. Although the original 615 ZT was more than 35% larger than the traditional blade shape, the SB Columbus is about 30% smaller than the shooter Jack used to win. That said, it still has a full size blade like the Toulon Golf Boston you see pictured here with it.

In order to maintain a “normal” size and feel, they had to figure out how to keep the car down to around 360 grams of weight. The original shot was made of aluminum but was very brittle. As Sean Toulon tells Clay in their story video, “It wouldn’t have passed the BGLT or ‘Big Guy Lean Test.’ To combat that and stay true to the Toulon Golf Small Batch process, they built the face and shaft from 904L stainless steel. 904L is a great material that finishes beautifully, but it takes a long time to grind, which makes it more expensive, so it’s reserved for Small Batch projects.

The back of the storage is then made in anodized 6061 aluminum to save weight. Toulon is not new to the world of multi-material construction, but they had to be very careful how the two parts fit together in some ways. The first was that they physically had to be a good match. There is nothing worse than a beautiful project turning into a nightmare with a terrible coating or a noticeable difference in the lines of the parts. Not here. SB Columbus has beautiful lines between materials that match perfectly with the same curves, lines and flows as each other. The other big thing is color matching. Since they are different metals, they react to finishing differently. It is not very easy to match the exact color between two metals, especially when you are talking about a black finish. It is very easy to see when a black does not become as dark or tinted as another black. But again, they absolutely nailed the details here.

The sole of the putter features some Azalea, a common nod to Augusta National. Some are filled with ink in their typical pink color and others are shaded in the background to give the design a nice depth without being busy. The SB Columbus logo stands proud in the center, with the ’86 markings entering the letters like the ‘b’ in Columbus.

As you spin the pusher on the top line, you’ll see a nod to the same alignment features on Jack’s original winning shooter, as well as a Toulon variation of the hollow markings from Jack’s old shooter, including the (86) mark where the old (ZT) mark was. The face is then finished in theirs triple cut fly mill on a silver bottom. Looks good behind the ball. You can see the loft on the face and the alignment cross on the back of the flange doesn’t distract at all.

The only thing you’re probably asking is “So how do you roll?” I have to say, it’s beautiful. It’s a good strong feeling that takes the face off. It has a great click to it, and a very commanding sound and feel in the hands. For a shooter this big, you’d worry the player would lose feel, but not in this case. It feels great and actually rolls pretty well too. I’d say maybe 70% of the small sets never make the case, but there are some collectors out there who believe in the idea of ​​tools rather than jewelry, and that can certainly be a very fun tool.

Toulon Golf Small Batch Columbus is available now on their website at toulongolf.com. In the Small Batch package, the player will also receive a signed certificate of authenticity with a matching shaft band.

Toulon Golf x Clay Long – 2026 Small Batch Columbus

This Toulon Golf x Clay Long Small Batch collaboration celebrates the Masters triumph in 1986. Toulon has teamed up with legendary club designer Clay Long, designer of the winning golfer in ’86, to celebrate the win and bring a piece of history into your hands.