Bettinardi 25th Anniversary BB30 Limited-Edition Putter Review

Bettinardi Golf is celebrating their 25th anniversary with a monthly series of limited-edition putters. The BB30 is the eighth putter in the series. This is the first time the BB30 has been offered to the public. Available Aug. 25 with a MSRP of $900.

We are at the end of August which means it is time to take a look at the next Bettinardi XXV Anniversary limited-edition putter release—the BB30.

To recap, Bettinardi Golf is celebrating this milestone by releasing a different limited-edition putter each month, showcasing their designs from the past 25 years. For example, last month Bettinardi released a limited-edition BB43.

The BB30 is a unique addition to the anniversary cohort for a couple of reasons. First, it is the only putter in the line that features a welded neck. Second, the original version of the BB30 is perhaps the rarest of the designs being recreated.

If you like your limited-edition putters to be truly unique, the Bettinardi XXV BB30 is going to check a lot of boxes for you.

What do you mean there is a BB30?

When I saw this putter, I was surprised but also confused. You know, like the time you were expecting your parents to get you a puppy but they came home with a baby sister instead.

The Bettinardi XXV anniversary putters are all based on historical Bettinardi putter designs. Before opening the box, I felt confident in my Bettinardi putter history knowledge. After seeing the BB30, I realized that said knowledge base has some holes.

At first, I blamed the BB30’s way-back release year. 1998 was a long time ago. Back then, some of you youngsters were spending hours figuring out how to ollie with your Tech Decks. Our older readers were likely spending hours awake at night hoping that Y2K didn’t wipe out the 401K.

In 1998, I was making the marital transition from recreation to procreation. TMI? Regardless, in that situation it was understandable that I would miss a putter release.

As it turns out, none of us missed, or aren’t remembering, the BB30’s release. That’s because the Bettinardi BB30 was never actually released before now.

The BB30 was for Friends in Roll Places

Back in 1999, if you were not a personal friend of Bob Bettinardi, you had no chance of owning a BB30 or likely even knowing of its existence. This Bettinardi XXV limited-edition BB30 putter is the first BB30 released to the general public.

I thought all of the XXV Anniversary putter reissues would be the crowd favorites. Instead, the BB30 was a secret, friends-only putter. How cool is that? 

If you are a Bettinardi collector, the BB30 is the unicorn that you didn’t even know you were missing.

Specifications: Bettinardi XXV Limited-Edition BB30 Limited-Edition Putter

Material: 303 stainless steel Construction: CNC milled and welded Finish: Gold Flame Face: Flymill Neck: Welded Square Flow Toe Hang: 5:30 Weight: 358 grams Shaft: Stepless steel Grip: Black leather perforated Gripmaster with gold stitch back Production run: 250  MSRP: $900

The Bettinardi XXV Limited-Edition BB30’s Welded Neck

Aside from the scarcity of the original, the other thing I find interesting about the BB30 is its welded neck. This separates it from the other fully milled XXV Anniversary putters.

It begs the question: Why does it have a welded neck? Did the BB30’s head and neck shapes mandate a welded neck? Did Bob Bettinardi weld the necks on the originals so he wanted these to be welded as well?

I found out that the answer is simpler than that. Bettinardi wanted one of the putters in the XXV Anniversary series to have a welded neck and they chose the BB30. I think the history of the putter makes it the perfect choice for a weld.

These putters were made by Robert Bettinardi for his friends. There is a certain level of intimacy there. Obviously, that intimacy can’t be recreated in these new putters but the welded neck is an acknowledgement of that.

A real person, not a machine, welded the neck on. You can see that in the pattern of the weld. Someone held and welded each BB30. You’ll likely never know who that person was but, if you play one of these BB30’s, you are connected to them. Your putter was at least partially crafted in their hands.

The Bettinardi XXV Limited-Edition BB30’s Deep Hang

Let’s take a closer look at the construction and playability of the BB30. The position and shape of the neck gives the BB30 nearly straight-down toe hang. I’d say it sits somewhere between 5:00 and 5:30.

As a result, the BB30 is going to open and close during your stroke. Is that a good thing? That depends on your stroke. Convention says a strong arcing stroke will pair best with a putter with more toe hang, something this BB30 has no shortage of. 

The Bettinardi XXV Limited-Edition BB30’s High Toe and Sloping Flange

The Bettinardi XXV limited-edition BB30’s unique design features a high toe top line and a solid sloping rear flange. I mentioned it before but I appreciate how high toe designs look at address. The elevated toe tweaks the address optics just enough to make me feel I am in the correct position over the ball. 

The sloped back and overall profile of the BB30 initially had me thinking Odyssey #9, their asymmetrical heel-shafted blade. After rolling the BB30 for a while, I came to the conclusion that it plays smaller than a #9 and more like the iconic 8802.

Yes, the BB30 is larger than an 8802. I’m just sharing my admittedly subjective impression. The BB30 gives me 8802 vibes. It feels way better, though, and is monumentally more forgiving.

I appreciate how the design of the Bettinardi XXV limited-edition BB30 brings the eye to the front of the putter at address. When addressing the ball, I focus much more on the squared-off front portion of the putter rather than the curved rear. Perhaps this is what made me perceive it as smaller than its geometries.

Well-struck putts are rewarded with a rich tone at impact while heel and toe strikes bring more I’m-disappointed-in-you sounds. If you want to make the BB30 your gamer, this type of feedback is welcome and essential.

Final Thoughts on the Bettinardi XXV Limited-Edition BB30 Putter

More than once this summer, I’ve talked about how the 2023 putter releases have proved surprising. Let’s add the Bettinardi XXV limited-edition BB30 putter to that surprised-by tally sheet. The unique elements in this putter are significant, and none of us saw it coming.

We start with a head that was never before available to the public. For any other release, that would be buzz-worthy enough. From there we add the nugget of being the only welded neck in the XXV Anniversary set. To ice the cake, we have the unusual design of the BB30. “Unusual” in that you will not find another putter in your shop that looks like it.

The $900 price tag on the Bettinardi XXV limited-edition BB30 is not insignificant but should prove to be no barrier for the Bettinardi collector. With only 250 of these being made, they will be snatched up at lightning speed. Collectors will jump at the chance to own a Bettinardi putter model previously only found in the bags of Bob’s friends.

For the record, the Bettinardi XXV limited-edition BB30 is also a fully functional Tech Deck quarter pipe. Check me landing a burly fastplant to bluntslide fakie. 

Find out more about the Bettinardi XXV limited-edition BB30 and the rest of the XXV Anniversary series at Bettinardi.com

FAQ: Bettinardi 25th Anniversary Putter Line.

Can you tell me more about Bettinardi?

For the full report on Bettinardi’s history, check out this article by our golf historian John Barba. I mentioned this before and I’m going to keep mentioning it until you all read it. It’s that good.

I missed a few of these and I want to have the set. Will they be available again?

Unfortunately, you are probably looking to the secondary market if you want to pick up one of the previous XXV Anniversary putters.

What model will be released next?

I have no idea, especially after this BB30. What do you want to see? I’m still pulling for a flow-neck half-moon mallet with some wild finish.

Are these for collecting or playing?

When I answered this question last month, I said the Bettinardi XXV limited-edition putters were for playing. I still say that. While you may want to hang these on a wall, they really should get dirty.

If you change your mind later, you can always send the gamed putter into Bettinardi for refinishing. Game that putter, then let Bettinardi make it all pretty again.

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