50 Words or Less
The Toulon Atlanta putter blends expert milling and modern performance features in a beautiful compact mallet design. Wonderful feel and noteworthy consistency.
Introduction
The Toulon Atlanta is our initial look at the putters released by the new company Toulon Golf. If you’re thinking, “Wait, Toulon isn’t new,” you aren’t wrong – but you are about Toulon Golf.
Toulon Design began making putters back in 2015, and it only took a year for Callaway Golf to bring them under their Odyssey wing. Callaway not only loved the Toulon milled putters, but were thrilled to bring Sean Toulon into their management fold. Last summer, Sean retired from Callaway – but not from making putters – and co-founded Toulon Golf. The change allowed Sean to bring on sons Tony and Preston Toulon, as well Toru Kamatari, as co-founders. If the story sounds too good to be true, it gets better – Callaway is still a partner.
Looks
The 2024 Toulon Golf First Run collection features a luxurious rich chocolate PVD finish. The finish takes on a different look depending on the light, but my camera skills are limited and non-flattering. The main thing to note is that the putter head looks fabulous in all conditions. The chocolate color also pairs well with the Toulon green, and allows the cream accents like the alignment line to look distinctive without being distracting.
I love the overall shape of the compact mallet Toulon Atlanta at address. The rounded heel and toe give the shape a softness, while the straight trailing edge reinforces the parallel lines of the face, helping me achieve a square setup. Subtle, but clearly by design, the ball width cavity that splits the shoulders and bumpers was a great aid for aim.
While the First Run Atlanta may look like a one piece milled putter from a putting position, flipping the head over reveals an aluminum sole plate and dual weight ports. I’ll discuss those more in the Performance section, but as to looks, the sole exhibits a modern, technologically-focused design.
Before moving on, I have to give a tip of the cap to the craftsmen at Toulon Golf. The co-founders clearly have vision, but execution requires expertise on the shop floor. The photo above isn’t upside down, but taken to spotlight the angled top of the logo cavity. I can’t speak to the purpose of the slant but can say it takes skill to produce.
Check out Toulon’s take on the Anser, the Toulon Madison, HERE
Sound & Feel
We use some crazy terms in golf, but the feel of the Toulon Atlanta is best described as soft but solid. The First Run Atlanta features Toulon Golf’s new mid-depth Double Fly Cut face milling that’s intended to produce a “soft yet responsive feel.” Paired with a tour caliber golf ball, the feel is simply wonderful.
Initially I wrote down “quiet” for the contact sound, but later added “medium” for a final medium-quiet ‘tock.’ More than pleasant on reasonable contact, the sound was brighter when center struck. The feedback offered an enticing reward for an accurate stroke.
Performance
The Toulon Atlanta has a toe hang of 44° according to Toulon Golf, and features a “H4.5 short slant neck hosel.” I always prefer toe flow, and the First Run Atlanta felt absolutely effortless to putt with. The smooth release really stood out on long putts.
Also noteworthy was the consistency of the Toulon Atlanta. Center struck or mishit, roll-out was near equal. Remember that aluminum sole plate? It allowed Toulon Golf designers to move mass to the perimeter of the putter head, which boosts MOI. And as PIG readers know, higher MOI equates to more forgiveness.
As to those weight ports, Toulon Golf placed them forward for ball speed consistency across the face. The stock 360 gram First Run Atlanta can be ordered in a heavier 390 gram setup. There are also choices for loft, lie, and length as well as a couple of grip options.
Conclusion
The Toulon Atlanta is a marvelous compact mallet putter. It has the look and feel of a milled putter, with the performance benefits of some modern sole features. At $600, the First Run Atlanta is certainly an investment, but on par with other boutique, premium brands like SWAG. And don’t get me started on the craftsmanship – it’s excellent in every regard. If you think you know Toulon, it’s time to check out Toulon Golf.
Visit Toulon Golf HERE
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