Winter is a dangerous time for this golfer. It is cold, there is snow on the ground, my world in Minnesota is not conducive to a life outside. That combination means too much time on the internet and too many weekend afternoons looking around in golf stores.

The obvious disclosure here is that I like golf clubs. I like looking at them, I like trying different clubs, I like reading about clubs online and I like to find good deals on clubs. I read and post on GolfWRX, I’m always on the hunt for a good deal on eBay.

And putters have become a weakness. We are in a time when many putters have are a nice combination of quality craftsmanship with a little bit of art. This winter, I coveted and eventually purchased a Bettinardi Studio Stock 12. I liked that it was a near center-shafted putter, I liked that it was milled in the USA, I liked that it was a little deeper from face to back, I really liked how it looked.

The problem is that I’m very much a straight-back, straight-thru putter (SBST) and this putter has a bit of toe hang. It wasn’t a good match. But in the middle of the winter, I’m just dumb enough to think I can make things work. I should know better.

After using the putter for one round in Minnesota, I brought the flat-stick with me on a recent trip to Alabama. I was arrogant enough that I didn’t even bring a second putter on the trip. It took about two rounds to realize that was a mistake. While I used the putter for the rest of the trip, it was mentally on the bench long before I was back in Minneapolis.

I need a face-balanced putter and I need a putter that is easy to line up. I simply make more putts that way. I used a face-balanced blade putter for a good part of last season, but I have recently picked up a new face-balanced mallet putter. While they can land a bit on the ugly side of the spectrum, they work for me.

I need to realize this. I need to accept this. And I need to realize that making putts with an ugly putter is way better than missing putts with a good-looking putter.

I don’t always remember this. But I need to.