When it comes to the premium putter market, there is no shortage of beautifully crafted models, but the new Odyssey Damascus Milled One Wide SB putter has seriously raised the bar.
After spending a couple of years perfecting the design and receiving feedback from PGA and LPGA Tour players, Odyssey has released the limited-edition Damascus Milled collection ($699/£569). I took the One Wide SB model out onto the golf course to see if it delivers the performance you'd expect from its premium price tag.
Out of the box, I think it's right up there with one of the best-looking putters I've ever seen, with the face being the real talking point. The Damascus steel starts with 61 sheets of two different types of steel (one softer and one firmer) that are stacked into a box. They are then pressed and rolled at extremely high temperatures until they stretch out to the length of two football fields, before being cut and twisted - yes, you read that correctly!
This intensive process is what creates the mesmerizing visual layer pattern that you see on the face, which I think looks absolutely incredible in the sunlight. What’s incredible is that where these layers are cut dictates the pattern, meaning no two inserts are the same, and every putter is unique, so you really do have a one-of-one putter.
While a putter can boast incredible aesthetics, it’s not going to make it into the bag of many golfers unless it performs on the greens. Odyssey wanted to deliver its most premium, performance-driven putter ever, and I genuinely think they have achieved that with this Damascus One Wide model.
The premium aesthetics are matched with an unbelievable feel from the Damascus milled face, something designed around tour players expressing the need for it to sound louder, firmer, and more solid than recent product releases such as the Ai-One milled range. By combining a softer steel and a higher-strength firmer steel, you get the benefits of both, resulting in the firmer sound and feel that traditionalists love from a milled putter.
In terms of performance, the One Wide SB shape is one that I particularly love, providing the feel and creativity of a blade while offering a touch more forgiveness in a larger footprint - closer to that of a mallet putter. The widened profile frames the ball perfectly at address, and the single dot sightline on the top is ideal for centering the ball at address.
The SB (Single Bend) design provides minimal toe hang (10°) with a half-shaft of offset, which I found worked beautifully for a stroke with a minimal arc and will suit those who like to feel the putter working on a straighter path.
Hidden behind the stunning Damascus face is Odyssey's modern Ai topology, strategically designed on the back of the face to improve ball speed across the insert and improve pace control. On long lag putts, I found this technology really shone, giving me a pure roll even when I didn't find the dead center of the blade and regularly had the ball finishing within gimmee range, much like some of the most forgiving putters.
This putter features an SL90 steel shaft with a 20-gram counterbalance weight in the butt end, which noticeably smoothed out my tempo and allowed my stroke to feel balanced even when put under a little pressure when using it in a match I played. The whole Damascus range is paired with a new Rubber Tour Pistol Grip developed in collaboration with Golf Pride, which feels incredibly secure and locked-in in the hands.
Yes, £569 is a premium investment, but considering the bespoke craftsmanship, the Tour-validated performance, and the fact we tend to use our putter for around 50 percent of the shots we hit on the golf course, it feels as though it’s worth it. If you want one of the best putters on the market that looks and feels incredible, the Damascus One Wide is easily one of the standout releases of the year.
