Today, our Toulon Golf travels come to an end. We are finishing up the Coastal California Series limited-edition putter release in the city of Mill Valley.
This has been quite a trip.
We started out in laid-back Leucadia, avoided the highway patrol and tasted wine in Paso Robles, and then crossed the Bixby Bridge in Big Sur.
Each of our stops inspired a limited-edition Toulon Golf putter. So far, weโve had a blade, a round mallet and a long-neck fang mallet.
The Toulon Golf Mill Valley putter is not just a tweaking of a familiar shape. Youโll recognize some elements from other putters but itโs the combination of aspects that makes it unique. From one angle you will think that you know what it is; from another, it is something completely different.
In that way, the Toulon Golf Mill Valley is perfectly named.
Mill Valley is multidimensional
Mill Valley is a kaleidoscope of a city. On one hand, it is an affluent San Francisco-adjacent city that sits on Highway 101 north of the Golden Gate Bridge. Like many of the cities that surround San Francisco, homes are expensive and the residents earn well above the state average income.
It has its share of โtech brosโ living there but it is not the same as some of the more technology-centered cities like Palo Alto.
Wealthy people live in Mill Valley but the population once leaned more towards tunes than tech. Decades ago, Jerry Garcia and Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead lived in Mill Valley. Huey Lewis and maybe some News lived there as did Bonnie Raitt and Sammy Hagar.
Back in the analog ages, beat poet Jack Kerouac lived on Montford Avenue in Mill Valley.
Still, there must be something about Mill Valley that attracts the artists. You can still get some of that artistic vibe when you visit the local shops.
My guess is that artists were drawn to Mill Valley subconsciously due to the town’s proximity to Mount Tamalpais and Muir Woods. Both of these places are viewed as significant spiritual nexuses.
Coast Miwok and other indigenous tribes viewed Mount Tamalpais with the same reverence that the ancient Greeks viewed Mount Olympus.
These days, you will see a whole lot of Patagonia puffy vests and UGG boots in Mill Valley but you can still occasionally glimpse a tie-dyed garment and crystal pendant’s rainbow refraction.
How does the Toulon Mill Valley putter match the city?
Iโll let the cynic speak first. The Toulon Mill Valley putter costs $700. As with most things found in Mill Valley these days, the price tag puts it beyond the means of many.
Now that we have that out of the way, letโs just enjoy exploring the putter.
From the underside, the Toulon Mill Valley looks like a heel-shafted half-mallet, resembling an Odyssey #9. The long flowing hosel is also similar to the #9 neck. It even has a bit of toe-heavy asymmetry like the #9.
Once you flip the putter over, the #9 similarities fade away.
The back flange is so smooth and gently sloped that it doesnโt even have a spot for the eyes to rest on. At address, the eyes are drawn to the thin top line and single sight dot.
To me, it almost makes the putter look like a very thin blade. I know the rear flange is there but it just doesnโt really register in my brain.
It dawned on me that the Toulon Mill Valley is like a well-shaped mullet hair cut. Business in the front and party in the back.
You may perceive it differently, of course.
And, just like that, we have reached the end of the road trip
It seems like only yesterday when we filled the tank and headed north along the California coast. We traveled about 500 miles, spending about $3,000 on California gas.
(Maybe I should have driven the Tesla.)
Each putter we looked at along the way was a sight worth seeing. The snapshots we took of Toulon Golf Coastal California Series putters are memorable. Each putt is covered in Golden Sand (PVD) and painted liberally with Ocean Blue. The machined sole plates are a marvel of aesthetics and engineering.
Did you have a favorite stop?
I think I am leaning toward the Bixby but the smooth lines of the Mill Valley are also enticing.
(Nothing named after Paso Robles will ever be in my bag, of course.)
All four models should be available on the Toulon Golf website. They are limited in number. I was told Toulon produced about 300 putters in total. Numbers of the individual models should be in the 70-80 range. For a limited run, that is pretty limited.
I hope youโve enjoyed the time on the road and, hopefully, the next Toulon Golf itinerary is as picturesque. As long as itโs not a trip through Los Angeles on the 405 freeway at rush hour, I call shotgun.
Find out more about the Toulon Golf Coastal California Series at ToulonGolf.com.
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