First Look: Bettinardi QB8 Limited Run Putter

The Last of 2019?

It seems like just yesterday that Bettinardi unveiled its first limited edition putter of the 2019 golf season. And yet, here we are today checking out the last of house Bettinardi’s limited-run offerings for 2019. I dare say that the weeks on the links passed with break-neck speed this season, so before we move on, let’s grab a moment to reflect a bit upon the previous Bettinardi limited offerings.

Back in January, Bettinardi kicked off the new golf season with their traditionally island-themed Tiki model. This year’s BB1 LE Tiki featured copious amounts of thematic engravings and a big nod to the ever-toothful man in the gray suit who owns the real estate under the waves.

A few months later, Bettinardi rolled out the 2019 incarnation of their Armageddon line, the military-themed BB8-Wide Armageddon. Bob Bettinardi and the other Bettinardi family and staff members are stalwart supporters of our troops. The Armageddon series serves as a symbolic homage to their service, while also helping out in concrete ways. A portion of the proceeds from Armageddon sales was donated to the Veteran Golfers Association.

Along with these larger limited runs, the Bettinardi Hive delivered frequent releases of one-off putters, limited-run headcovers, and other tough to score Bettinardi merchandise. Rumor has it that the servers get pretty hot when the Hive releases go live.

All in all, I’d say that 2019 was a pretty good year for Bettinardi putter collectors and admirers, and we still have one last limited run putter to check out.

Bettinardi Ends The 2019 Game with a Queen

Robert J. Bettinardi is proud to unveil his latest limited run creation for the fall golf season, the superb Queen B 8 Slant Neck. Using our popular wide-body blade QB8 head shape, Robert re-engineered a special one-piece milled slant neck based straight from Tour feedback. Crafting the putter from the finest Soft Carbon Steel, the QB8 Slant is for players seeking optimal toe-hang and offset that matches trends from the worlds best golfers on Tour. RJB gave the QB8 Slant a very fine Flymill face milling for a soft, yet responsive feel at impact. Completed in an elegant Oil Rubbed Bronze PVD finish, with a rich black and gold paint scheme, our famous Honeycomb pattern is intricately milled across the sole for subtle yet bold Bettinardi appearance. The limited run QB8 Slant is limited to only 300 pieces worldwide, and comes paired with a premium Made in USA black leather pebble headcover, and a special black cowhide leather Gripmaster classic wrapped grip.

Finishing up the year with a limited edition version of a Queen B 8 is a pretty bold move for Bettinardi. Granted it’s not second-turn Queen to H4 checkmate kind of boldness, but releasing this model as an aggressive play. It’s much riskier to go with one of your more peripheral head shapes than to play to a traditional crowd favorite.

Specifications: Bettinardi QB8 Slant LE

• Material: Soft Carbon Steel
• Face Milling: Fly Milling
• Neck: Slant
• Weight: 357g
• Toe Hang: 3/4
• Finish: Oil Rubbed Bronze PVD
• Grip: Gripmaster leather wrap
• Number Produced: 300
• Available: 09/19/2019
• MSRP: $700

After looking at the photos and the specs, though, I expect the three-hundred Queen B’s will leave the hive quickly. They offer everything that one would want in a limited putter, including a unique Oil Rubbed Bronze PVD finish. The modified slant neck is a non-retail offering that plays to the current consumer preference for a slant neck mallet. Sure, the $700 price tag is going to be prohibitive (and likely enraging) to some golfers, but I’d expect these to last well less than sixty minutes once they go on sale on 09/19/19. Gone in sixty seconds is a more reasonable guess.

And Like That, Bettinardi Rolls on to 2020

It’s crazy to think that we are already having the conversation about end the 2019 golf equipment season, and moving on to 2020 gear. Sure, the pros finished their 2019 season back in August, but quite a few of us still have some weeks (or months) of golf to play this year with the new gear that we bought in 2019. It’s like Christmas decorations in September. It just seems like the next season is starting before this one is truly finished.

New gear is rad though, and while I too get a little disgruntled about the pacing of newness, I’m also the first one to get geeked up over the new opportunities that new gear offers. Each new club brings that new sliver of hope.

So what will Bettinardi be rolling out next year? Of that, I know not, but we should know what models are continuing, and which ones will be archived soon enough. Assuming Bettinardi continues its two-year cycle, the BB and the iNOVAi lines will get revitalized for the New Year. Is there a model that you hope to see? I think that it is about time for the BB5 to make a return, yet my secret wish is for a slant neck BB35. Come on slant-neck slot car!

Before we get too future-focused, let’s remember that we still have a chance at scoring this last-of-2019 limited run QB8 on September 19th. On that day, get to the Hive site early, refresh often, and you may be lucky enough to add this rare queen to your collection.

The Queen B 8 Slant will be available on Bettinardi.com online in the Hive on September 19, 2019, at 10 am CDT and select Bettinardi specialty dealers worldwide.