Cheers to the Toulon & Sons Small Batch Portrush

This week, the attention of the golfing public will be focused on Northern Ireland for the 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush Golf Club. I’ve attended a couple of U.S. Opens but traveling across the Atlantic to watch The Open in person would be amazing. That’s near the top of my bucket list.

I definitely have a romanticized vision of watching the best players in the world navigate the links during the day and then chatting about the round in a local pub that evening.

As it turns out, Toulon Golf and I are of similar minds.

Although they are primarily focused on releasing their new Small Batch Portrush putter to commemorate this year’s Open, they also are thinking a bit about the Portrush pub scene as well.

Toulon & Sons expands their UK store holdings

Last year’s Small Batch Scotland was the first time that we saw “Toulon & Sons” on a putter. The new branding came from a daydream about Sean Toulon and his three sons opening up a small shop by The Old Course at St Andrews.

I’m not even sure it was going to be a golf shop. The vibe was way more tartan and bespoke clothing if I recall. It was going to be a proper storefront with a fancy feel.

In some corner of the multiverse, the Toulon family crafts smart little waistcoats and trousers during the week and then walks their dogs on the Old Course on Sundays.

The Toulon hypothetical holdings now expand into Northern Ireland, serving pints and plates at the newly opened Toulon & Sons Tavern.

Knocking back a pint at the Toulon Tavern

Why is a putter making family daydreaming about opening a tavern in Portrush? You’ll probably need to ask Shane Lowry. Lowry’s Open win is 2019 was stuff of legend on and off the course.

On the course, he shot a course record 63 on Saturday and ended up beating (sadly still second) Tommy Fleetwood by six strokes.

Off the course, there were stories that The Open champion was seen celebrating his victory in the pub with the people of Portrush well into the following morning, still in the clothes he wore on the course.

How amazing would it be if that celebration happened at your tavern? Like Toulon & Sons, I, too, would love to have some taps and tales flowing near Whiterocks Beach and Royal Portrush.

Specifications: Toulon Small Batch Portrush Putter

• Material: 904L stainless steel
• Construction: CNC-milled
• Finish: Platinum Mist
• Face: Fine Double Fly Cut with Deep Tuna
• Loft: 3°
• Lie: 70°
• Weight: 353 grams
• Shaft: Chrome Stepless steel
• Headcover: Seamus Toulon and Sons Harris Tweed
• Grip: Custom Toulon and Sons Pistol
• Production run: 75 
• MSRP: $1,800

The Toulon & Sons Small Batch Portrush putter

The Portrush is a classic pintail putter shape. This Rolex-steel blade putter reminds us of a time when putters tended to put form before function.

She is a beauty but if you are looking for assistive technologies, this is not that putter. The shape has been updated to reflect modern golf design elements such as weight and center of gravity position but the putter won’t correct your mistakes like an Ai-ONE insert would.

However, if you are looking for a beautiful blade putter, the Portrush is pure arm candy.

The Small Batch Portrush is amazingly clean at address. The visage of flowing metal curves is only interrupted by the single sight dot. The two-tier back is attractive and does provide you with squared lines for alignment.

Although likely coincidental, the steps also match the visual of the Portrush beaches and the limestone cliffs that tower above them.

The vibe I get from the Toulon & Sons Small Batch Portrush is that this is not a putter for heated competition. This is a putter you take out to enjoy the walk, focusing more on how the ball rolls along the contours of the links course than the numbers on the scorecard.

And finish the day at the Toulon Tavern

As always, the Toulon Small Batch Portrush puts the “f” in “fancy.” This is not a putter you will find in the sale bin at Golf Galaxy. It is unapologetically premium.

Even if the putter is too top-shelf for most pocketbooks, we common folk can still appreciate the artistry of the Portrush. Toulon & Sons have done a great job capturing the flavor of The Open. Though Toulon is based in California, the Portrush feels like it was made in the UK.

The tweed Seamus headcover and the Toulon Tavern logos all contribute to the vibe.

Though it is not a real place, I feel the Toulon Tavern would be a great place for a post-round snack and a pint or two. You know that Sean Toulon has some great stories about golf that he could share and you might just be there when the Claret Jug arrives in the hand of the latest Champion Golfer of the Year. 

Cheannach the Toulon Small Batch Portrush at ToulonGolf.com