(pronounced \u201cRooter\u201d)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe inventor of the world\u2019s second most famous putter\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In\nthe 1840\u2019s German settlers began occupying the Blue Island area in Cook County,\nIllinois. About this time construction companies discovered large deposits of\nclay suitable for manufacturing bricks. Within a decade, this area became known\nas \u201cthe brick making capital of the world\u201d producing millions of bricks per\nyear. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\n1880 Census returns indicate John and Augusta Reuter immigrated to the Blue\nIsland area in 1875. The couple felt very comfortable in their new surroundings\namong other German arrivals. As well, John arrived with experience in the brick\nmanufacturing process. Commencing with John Jr. born on September 6th<\/sup>,\n1888, the couple had two other children Otto and Estella. <\/p>\n\n\n\n During\nhis caddying career at Midlothian CC, John asked Harry Vardon if he needed a\ncaddy. \u201cIn 1900, as a carroty-headed caddy of age 12, I approached Harry\nVardon, then on one of his victorious American tours, and brashly told the\ngreat English player: I\u2019ll caddie for you Mr. Vardon if you like.\u201d Reuter\nalways felt Vardon to be the best golfer he ever saw. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In\n1904, again John illustrated his convincing demeanor. He persuaded the owner of\nMacgregor Golf Company to give him a job. \u201cI arrived at MacGregor in Dayton,\nOhio in the fall of 1904 when business was slowing down. George Mattern, the\nsuperintendent, responded: Well we\u2019re not in heavy production at this time of\nthe year. I don\u2019t know whether we have anything for you to do or not. But\nseeing you\u2019ve come all this way from Chicago, I\u2019ll see what we can find.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\nReuter Jr. began his first experience in the manufacturing process of a golf\nclub. \u201cWell he found something for me to do and the years I worked there were\namong the happiest of my life. All the time I was learning and studying what\nwent into a golf club. It took considerable skill to finish a golf club, especially\nthe shaft. That\u2019s where the highest skilled workmanship was performed. One too\nmany strokes with the plane and the shaft could be ruined. And if the feel was\nnot right it wasn\u2019t any good either.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Forty-three\nyears later, John produced his first rudimentary prototype Bulls Eye putter.\nBut his journey before that point took him to four states and some interesting\njobs before becoming the producer of the 2nd<\/sup> most famous putter in\nthe world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After\nthree years, John left Macgregor in Dayton, Ohio. He assumed the head\nprofessional position at the Richmond C.C. in Indiana on Sept 15th<\/sup>,\n1907. For some reason, in 1909 John\nReuter Sr. moved his family, including John Jr., to Stark County, North Dakota.\nThe family became farmers in a dominantly German populated farming area of the\ncounty. Shortly after the family\u2019s arrival, John Jr. married Elizabeth Blank in Stark County. Then\non February 10th<\/sup>, 1910, he made a drastic occupation change from\ngolf professional\/club maker to clerk in Stark County. It is unclear where he\nlearned the administrative skills to do this job. Even more amazing, John Jr.\nran in the 1912 election for County Commissioner. He won the Democratic nomination and\nsubsequently the title. Cleverly, he ran on the platform: Since he spoke fluent\nGerman, his election would allow the majority of the citizens in the area being\nGerman to communicate with the county administration in their native tongue. He\nsuccessfully won re-election every two years until he left Stark County around\n1929 shortly after the great crash. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although\nJohn Jr. had changed occupations, this did not extinguish his desire to play\ngolf. Newspaper accounts credit him for organizing the Dickinson GC on May 10th<\/sup>,\n1913. Over the next five years, he\nencouraged groups of like-minded citizens in Bismark, Fargo, Valley City, and\nGrand Forks to construct courses for their areas. Next he spearheaded the formation of the North\nDakota Golf Association with a mandate to host a state championship. Because of\nhis advanced skill as a professional, John Jr. won four consecutive state\namateur championships in 1916 \u2013 1919. When his home course Dickinson hosted the\n1920 championship, he graciously declined to enter believing he had an unfair\nadvantage over the visiting players. He actually never participated in another\nstate championship. He did, however, play in the 1916 and 1921 USGA Amateur\nChampionships. According to the 1920 US census returns, John Sr. and wife,\nAugusta, had returned to Blue Island, Cook County. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In\nhis 1961 interview with Golf Magazine<\/em>\nJohn Jr., described his golf-playing career: \u201dFor a while I once thought I\nmight make it as a touring pro, but I didn\u2019t. One of the few highlights in the\nlong procession of mostly dreary years before my putter hit, was when I\nqualified for the British Open at Royal St Lytham in 1926. Although I didn\u2019t survive the cut-off, it was\na great thrill for me just to play in the prestigious event.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Utilizing\nhis experience at the MacGregor factory, John Jr. registered his first patent\nfor a better hickory shafted mallet putter. The US Trademark & Patent\noffice issued a patent on January 18th<\/sup>, 1927 to John Reuter Jr.\nDickinson, North Dakota. In simple terms, Reuter wanted to reduce the possible\nhitting surface on the mallet putter clubface. He felt the four-inch flat\nsurface extending from the heel to the toe of the putter causing players to\nmishit their putts if they struck the ball near the heel or the toe. To\neliminate these mishits, Reuter reduced the hitting surface where the ball\nshould be struck by beveling the hitting surface near the toe and near the\nheel. Most putting surfaces measured\nabout four inches. His beveled surfaces reduced the hitting surface to two\ninches in the middle of the hitting area. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The 1930\nUS Census return shows John Jr. and family living in Elk Grove, Cook County.\nOver the next two decades, John joined the PGA of America, held two golf club\nprofessional positions: the first at the Rob Roy CC in Illinois and the second\nat the Sault Sainte Marie GC in Michigan. He continued to attempt to qualify\nfor the US Open, playing in the qualifying rounds in the Chicago District in\nthe years 1930, 1933, and 1938. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Sometime\nin the mid 1930\u2019s John and Elizabeth divorced. She moved to California to live with her son Lawrence\nand her brother Ben Blank. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In\n1946, during his residency at the Sault Sainte Marie GC, he began the\nrudimentary steps to develop his \u201cBulls Eye\u201d putter. \u201cIt was real hot that\nsummer and there was hay fever going around. I had a lot of spare time, so I\namused myself in the welding shop trying to turn out a putter that would swing\nas evenly as the pendulum of a clock. I set the shaft just a little short of\ncenter, fiddled around with the weight of the head and the balance, until I got\nwhat I wanted. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Note:\nPerhaps John Reuter Jr. used the Cash-In putter made popular by Spalding in the\n1930\u2019s and 1940\u2019s as an inspiration for his Bulls Eye. Following the success of\nthe Cash-In, in 1940 Macgregor manufactured their center shafted putters under\nthe model names Jim Foulis and Jerry Travers. Likewise, Wilson introduced the\nHol-Hi center shafted putter in1946. Reuter likely sold these popular models in\nhis pro shop in Michigan during his development period. Reuter took this center\nshaft idea to transform blocks of copper into his new putter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Believing\nhis putter could become successful; he registered the trademark \u201cBulls Eye\u201d. On\nMarch 18th<\/sup>, 1949 John Reuter Jr. Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan\nreceived his trademark registration # 442,260. The early models have a large\nBulls Eye logo near the toe. Also the term \u201cPatent Pending\u201d appears somewhere\non the sole. A patent search gives no indication John Reuter Jr. ever received\na patent for the Bulls Eye putter design. Perhaps this explains why so many\nputter clubmakers were able to copy his center shaft brass head putter during\nthe 1950\u2019s. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Shortly\nafter receiving his trademark \u201cBulls Eye\u201d, he moved to Phoenix, Arizona to\nbegin manufacturing his new putter. In the March, 1961 issue of Golf Magazine<\/em>, he described his early\nyears and his philosophy for the new putter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy goal was to create a putter so well\ndesigned that golfers would flock to buy it. I was having so many pieces of\nbrass shaped in machine shops into rough patterns of heads that I couldn\u2019t even\nbegin to estimate the number. Almost every cent I could spare went into the\nputter project. On each successive one I would go to work with files, emery clothe,\nand drills during whatever spare hours I could mange from my assistant golf\nprofessional job at a local Phoenix public golf course. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I\nnever had any engineering training, of course. At first I worked mainly by\nguess and by God. But gradually I learned and slowly the final shape emerged in\nmy mind and then under my hands. When I had the final one done, I knew I had a\nputter that would match my dreams. I can\u2019t describe why I knew, but I did know.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whenever\nI had a few putters finished I would put them in pro shops within driving\ndistance of Phoenix. I mailed some to friends who were pros at some of the big\ncourses around the country. Within a few months the putter was selling so well\nthat I began expanding the manufacturing process to different rooms in my\nhouse. I bought some additional second-hand tools and a couple of machines that\ntook over the parlor. Business increased. I moved my car to the street parking\nin order to expand the operation into my garage. By this time I had two\nemployees: one full time and one part-time. I was so full of pride from the\nfirst exhilarating taste of success that I was fit to bust.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Reuter\u2019s\nbig breakthrough came when George Abrams, a member of the Acushnet Company\u2019s\npromotional staff, picked up a Bulls Eye putter in a local Phoenix pro shop. He\nliked the balance and the feel of this new design. In fact, his enthusiasm\nconcluded with John Reuter Jr. signing a contract with the Acushnet Company in\n1956 giving Acushnet the sole marketing rights to his putter. Acushnet\u2019s first\nadvertising for their new product appeared in the January 1957 issue of Golf Digest<\/em>. In 1960, Acushnet purchased\nJohn Reuter\u2019s putter enterprise. The following year they Acushnet a new putter\nplant for the Bulls Eye putter with John in charge. John commented: \u201cThe high\npoint for me personally was when we built and moved into this new plant. It has\nthe finest precision equipment available for manufacturing putter.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n John\nReuter\u2019s Desirable Characteristics for a good putter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Before\nthe Bulls Eye putter came along most putters were L-shaped with the hosel\nholding the shaft connected to the end of the putter head. In fact, the British\noutlawed centre shafted putters after Walter Travis demolished his competitors\nin the 1904 British Amateur Championship. \nThis ban existed until 1953. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Reuter\u2019s\nBulls Eye putter head is rounded on all possible surfaces so it will pass over\nthe surface smoothly even when there are irregularities in the grass. Reuter\nfelt: \u201c The center shaft eliminates torque when the ball is struck unlike the L\nshaped putters. Centering the shaft centers the weight, just as a pendulum, creating\na measured rhythmic swing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n With\nregard to loft on the putter face, Reuter did not follow the normal belief of\nmanufacturers. Reuter experimented with various degrees. \u201cWhen there is a\nslight loft on the blade, it skims or slides the ball over the first few inches\nand starts it on a very steady path. I think five or six degrees makes for an\nideal putter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With\nregard to the putter shaft, again Reuter broke ranks. \u201cThe shaft must not be\ntoo soft. When the shaft vibrates too much, it is difficult to control the path\nof the clubhead.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n No two-putter\nstyles are the same. \u201cThe putter head should be designed to allow for the fact\nthat not everybody putts alike. There are tall people and short people; some\nplay the ball at a flatter angle, some with an upright style. And the same\nplayer doesn\u2019t use the same angle or line every day. He may change, may like to\nget his hands closer, the clubhead out a little further. Then I conceived the\nidea of making this same model in different lies, or angles \u2013 a medium lie; an\nupright lie, where the putter head is brought closer to the player and the\nshaft more perpendicular, and a flat lie, which extends the head further away.\u201d\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n The\noriginal Bulls Eye had two basic grips. \u201cWhen it came to designing the grip, I\nchose a flat top in order to allow the thumbs to lie comfortably on it. The\nstandard grip is a medium flat top. For larger hands, we have a larger paddle\ngrip where the flat portion is about \u00bc inch wider. \u201c <\/p>\n\n\n\n Reuter\nbelieved there was a championship in every putter that left his factory in\n1961. The percentages likely favoured\nthis assertion. The Acushnet factory in Phoenix, AR manufactured about 4,000\nBulls Eye putters each year. Touring professionals using his putter during the\n1960\u2019s included Gene Littler, Peter Thompson, Gary Player, and Jack Fleck to\nname the most prominent. Tour statistics show about 40 percent of the tour\nplayers used a Bulls Eye putter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In\n1967, John Reuter had a new competitor in the putter business. Solheim Karsten\nopened his factory in Phoenix AR. Quickly Karsten\u2019s \u201cPing Putter\u201d became the\nmost popular putter on the PGA Tour. One could argue the Ping Putter is the\nmost successful putter ever produced. Perhaps Reuter\u2019s \u201cBulls Eye Putter\u201d will\nbe the second most popular putter ever produced. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Mr.\nBull\u2019s Eye died in Phoenix, Arizona on February 26th<\/sup>, 1974. After\njoining Acushnet in 1957 he summed up his life very simply. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAll\nI ask is to be sure of being around for breakfast in the morning. There is\nsomething so wonderful about each new day nowadays that I get the most intense\npleasure just waking up and thinking of the day that stretches ahead of me, in\ncontrast to so many other kinds of difficult days I\u2019ve Known.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n john\nReuter Jr.\u2019s legacy probably lies in the fact he could be given the title\n\u201cfather of golf in North Dakota\u201d. Also his innovative design for the Bulls Eye\nputter made golfers aware of the importance the putter played in their success\non the golf course. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Other\nPatents issued to John Reuter Jr. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 1961\nJune \u2013 Issued patent for golf club iron Here\nhe carved a triangular portion from the clubface next to the hosel. In his\ndescription he describes the club: \u201cThe dominant feature of my design resides\nin the beveled portions at the heel and toe of the clubface to provide a\ntri-planar appearance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 1967\nAugust 28th<\/sup> offset putter patent issued to John Reuter Jr. Here\nReuter altered the appearance of the standard Acushnet mallet putter by\ntruncating the rear toe causing the rear portion of the mallet to be shorter\nthan the front portion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n March\n28, 1972 Golf Putter Head with hollow toe and heel portions. Reuter\u2019s description from the patent is: \u201cTo\nproduce a putter head with a large mass at the ball striking area of the putter\nface and the loft of a long iron. The increase in the weight at the ball\nstriking area is compensated for by making the heel and the toe of the putter\nhollow.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n John\nReuter Jr.\u2019s Putting Tips <\/p>\n\n\n\n 1. Read\ngreens carefully. If you have to play a break in the putting surface, make sure\nthat if you miss, you miss on the high side of the hole. A ball will never drop\nin if it is mishit on a line below the hole. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 2.\nAddress the ball in a relaxed and natural attitude \u2013 free of contortions and\nstrain. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 3.\nSole your putter firmly and evenly on the ground; avoid tilting it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 4.\nPutt with your fingertips, with a soft touch. You don\u2019t squeeze a cue in\nstroking a billiard ball, so don\u2019t squeeze your club in the analogous action of\nputting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 5.\nKeep your arms straight and swing them loosely from the shoulders. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 6.\nKeep your head motionless until after impact. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Dating\nand Identifying Bulls Eye putters. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Symbols<\/p>\n\n\n\n OS\n– (Old Standard), STD – \n(Standard), <\/p>\n\n\n\n L\n\u2013 (Light), H \u2013 (Heavy), MH \u2013 (medium\nheavy)<\/p>\n\n\n\n FL \u2013\n(Flange)<\/p>\n\n\n\n F \u2013\n(Flat) <\/p>\n\n\n\n M \u2013\n(Medium) <\/p>\n\n\n\n U or\nUP \u2013 (Upright) <\/p>\n\n\n\n Length\n4, 5,6, (for 34\u201d, 35\u201d, 36\u201d) <\/p>\n\n\n\n S \u2013\n(Standard grip) <\/p>\n\n\n\n P \u2013\n(Paddle grip approximately \u00bd\u2019 wider than standard) <\/p>\n\n\n\n Trademark\nBulls Eye issued on 1949 <\/p>\n\n\n\n Patent\npending appears on Bulls Eye until 1957 when Reuter signs a distribution\nagreement with Acushnet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Prior\nto their affiliation with Reuter golf magazine advertisements show Acushnet\nsold two models of aluminum mallet putters. <\/p>\n\n\n\n From\n1957 \u2013 1960 Markings include John Reuter Jr. Design and Bulls Eye trademark <\/p>\n\n\n\n After\n1960 when Acushnet purchased John Reuter\u2019s business the Acushnet Company were\nissued a putter trademark. Because Reuter never obtained a patent for his Bulls\nEye putter many copies appeared on the market after him. To authenticate their\nBulls Eye putter Acushnet added the putter trademark. <\/p>\n\n\n\n From\n1960 \u2013 1974 two marks appear <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDesigned\nby John Reuter Jr. \u201c or \u201cJohn Reuter Jr. Made in the USA\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n 1967\n\u2013 Acushnet introduced the Flange Bulls Eye model. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 1969\n\u2013 Acushnet introduced the L-shaped Bulls Eye with a flange herd. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After\nReuter\u2019s death in 1974 putters appeared without his name. When Acushnet\npurchased the Golfcraft Company in 1968 Golfcraft\u2019s head putter designer, Frank\nJohnston, left to open his own factory. Acushnet inherited over 100 models of\nputters in the purchase. In fact the aluminum head putters designed by John\nReuter closely resemble the most Caliente model, Golfcraft\u2019s most popular\nmodel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n To\nrecognize John Reuter\u2019s designs after his death Acushnet placed the marking <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cJohn\nReuter Jr. Design\u201d on the Bulls Eye putters. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In\n1978 Acushnet rebranded their golf club line by eliminating the word \u201cAcushnet\u201d\nfrom the markings on the clubs. The word \u201cTitleist\u201d appeared alone. The Bulls\nEye putters marked with only \u201cTitleist\u201d are after 1978. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When\nAcushnet purchased Scotty Cameron\u2019s company in 1994 Acushnet placed \u201cS\u201d and \u201cC\u201d inside the Bulls Eye logo. The company still recognized John Reuter\nJr.\u2019s Bulls Eye with the marking \u201cJohn Reuter Jr. Design\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1969\n\u2013 Scotty Cameron introduced the Caliente model Bulls Eye with the \u201cs\u201d and \u201cC\u201d\nin the Trademark with the inscription John Reuter Jr. Design. <\/p>\n\n\n\n SOURCES: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Magazines <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Golf\nMagazine – advertisements for the Bulls Eye <\/p>\n\n\n\n Golf\nDigest \u2013 advertisements<\/p>\n\n\n\n Golfdom\n\u2013 advertisements <\/p>\n\n\n\n Newspapers <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Richmond\nPalladium and Richmond Sun Telegraph Indiana<\/p>\n\n\n\n Morning\nStar Rockford Illinois <\/p>\n\n\n\n Dickenson\nPress North Dakota <\/p>\n\n\n\n Bismarck\nDaily Tribune North Dakota <\/p>\n\n\n\n Daily\nRegister Gazette Rockford Illinois <\/p>\n\n\n\n Chicago\nDaily times Illinois <\/p>\n\n\n\n Detroit\nTimes Michigan Arizona Sun Phoenix Arizona <\/p>\n\n\n\n Books \/ Periodicals <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Putters\nof Distinction by Dalton R. Daves 1996 <\/p>\n\n\n\n Hillerich\n& Bradsby, Macgregor, and Wilson annual product catalogues. <\/p>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" (pronounced \u201cRooter\u201d) \u201cThe inventor of the world\u2019s second most famous putter\u201d In […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2715","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/itbcpro.ca\/bcgolfhouse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2715","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/itbcpro.ca\/bcgolfhouse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/itbcpro.ca\/bcgolfhouse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itbcpro.ca\/bcgolfhouse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itbcpro.ca\/bcgolfhouse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2715"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/itbcpro.ca\/bcgolfhouse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2715\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/itbcpro.ca\/bcgolfhouse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2715"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itbcpro.ca\/bcgolfhouse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2715"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itbcpro.ca\/bcgolfhouse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2715"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}