To New Beginnings!
With a new year comes hopes of new accomplishments, much needed changes, or just some new directions in life. It’s also the opportunity to close the book on last year’s frustrations and disappointments. For many golfers, this opportunity for new beginnings is extremely exciting and welcomed with open arms. It’s a fresh chance to tackle goals like getting better, playing new courses, or winning a big tournament. Well, as a great American poet once said, “every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.” All of this to say…my big “new beginning” was I sold a putter and welcomed a new one into my life – a Kari Lajosi Sensor.
Perhaps that’s much less exciting than the introduction was building toward, but I’m pretty excited for the first Lajosi of my storied career in golf club “collecting”. In short, I thought I’d never sell my super unique Scotty Cameron Timeless, but all the right stars aligned and it was time to let it go. Frankly, I also have a lot of thoughts on ‘Scotty’ and his products, but I’ll save that for a rainy day. The point is, those feelings also played a major role in my willingness to let it go as the putter wasn’t providing the same value to my life that selling it would. Simple as that.
As Luck Would Have It…
The day after “closing the sale” on my Timeless, for whatever reason I woke up at 4am and couldn’t get back to sleep. I was just up for the day. So I went downstairs, turned something on the TV that I don’t remember, and started browsing all of the internet on my phone. One golf nerd thing I do is regularly peruse random brands on eBay just to see what kind of stuff is out there and what the general market looks like. Hell, you never know when you’ll find you have a random gem that’s hot right now and you need to sell! This early morning curse routine regularly repeats itself and often leads to a trip to Dunkin Donuts for the family before they’re all awake. (Side note, I chose Krispy Kreme on this day instead.)
Well on this random day, I was searching another boutique putter maker. I can’t even remember who it was, but as I scrolled down to the bottom of a listing, I saw an interesting putter in one of the many “related searches” categories eBay throws at you. It was an Anser 2 shape by Lajosi at a shockingly low price. So I clicked it, drooled at the pictures, scanned the description, and was ready to move on. But something caught my eye at the very end of the scan. The seller mentioned he was a member on one of the golf forums. Being so curious, I went to said forum but couldn’t find any listings for this putter, but I did manage to track down the seller.
I contacted said seller through the forum, talked about the putter a little bit, and the rest is history. My first Lajosi of all time was on its way. (At a completely unimaginable price, by the way.)
The Lajosi Sensor Putter
Kari Lajosi’s story is worthy of its own blog at some point in the future. In short, Lajosi is based out of Melbourne, Australia with a deep family background in tooling and metalworking. Also being being a devout golfer, Lajosi decided to take a stab at machining his own putter. This opened the door and Kari Lajosi putters blessed the golf world. It’s also worth noting that all Lajosi work is done totally in house – milling, engraving, stamping…DAMASCUS FORGING. With different materials, clean designs, and unique looks, Lajosi has really established himself as one of the top boutique putter makers in the world over the past two decades.
The Lajosi Sensor is their take on the traditional Anser 2 shape. While plenty of putter makers have had their own interpretations, there are some common signature elements to look for. Lajosi describes the angles as more “chiseled” which is a good way to describe a #2 shape. Your typical Anser has softer/rounder shoulders and bumpers whereas an Anser 2 will be “straighter”. Another highly-desired characteristic is the tri-sole. There are three different “sections” on the sole that some claim helps with better alignment when grounding the club. I’ve never been totally sure how much I buy into that, but I love how it looks. Not all tri-soles are created equally, but Lajosi’s is really well executed and ties the putter together nicely.
Of course, as a boutique putter maker there are a bunch of different engraving and stamping options if you design your own putter. I obviously didn’t go this route, but I still love the finishing touches of this Sensor. The details are very “Lajosi” but they aren’t super over the top. A perfect blend of unique and “utilitarian”.
Final Thoughts – Lajosi Sensor Putter
Honestly, I was more than ready to let go of my beloved Scotty Cameron Timeless. For a million different reasons, I just didn’t feel like it “reflected who I am anymore”. Call me ridiculous for saying that (100% warranted, you’re not wrong), but I just didn’t value it the same as before on so many levels. Instead, I got to add a Lajosi Sensor to my collection that I feel is genuinely better on so many different levels, and it’s actually 100% made by the same guy as the name on the putter.
With my Cameron Timeless having officially moved to the exit, I really feel like I have found a friend in my new Lajosi Sensor and I couldn’t be happier. How long will this love affair last? Who knows, but I’m really enjoying this fresh start, or “new beginning” to kick off 2023. Admittedly, it’s early and a lot could change by the start of the season! It’s not like I haven’t been known to make a bunch of winter bag changes without playing actual golf outside… Check back in with me around March and we’ll see what kind of staying power it has.
