Ray Cook (SA era)

[bcstones]

I started this thread for pics & discussion of Ray Cook (hope to focus on the San Antonio era, rather than the new stuff with different logos...tho I have kept some of the Blue Goose & Billy Baroo putters).

 

To start, these putters were loose in a box of unfinished heads (both iron heads & putter heads), no logos on any of these 5, except the Affluent Mallet Head putter. I wanted to see how they felt so I shafted them w/different shafts. I'm guessing that Ray Cook made that Affluent Mallet Head around the time of the MacGregor Reflex, it's the biggest putter head I have, one of the lightest and it does putt as well as the Reflex putters I have.
 

[Hillandale1977]

I wonder if this is the patent that relates to the Affluent MB-1.  Makes reference to the Response ZT along with a Northwestern putter and an Axaline putter.

 

D305680.pdf

[bcstones]

any way you could show that info ir realtime, not as a download?

It could be...he started the Affluent line of clubs in 1983...Nicklaus used the Response in'86, so it makes sense.

[Hillandale1977]

The downloaded patent document is 4 pages:

 

[bcstones]

that is the Affluent MB 1.....seems to have taken 4 years to approive the pattent

 

Edited February 19 by bcstones
somehow subtract 1986 from 1990 & got 16

[Hillandale1977]

Up to now, I only have two of his Affluent Golf putters, both of them the same model.  

 

Notably, the one that is stamped as PATENTED does not have "R. Cook" on it.  In his book, he says he sold Affluent in 1990.  I wonder how long the company carried on after that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think the patent below (dated Jan. 23, 1990) is the one that corresponds with these RCP-7 models.  There is a reference to Axaline.  Axaline must have been manufacturing something in that time period that Ray Cook approved of.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 14 by Hillandale1977

[Hillandale1977]

A "coming out party for Ray Cook putters."  https://larrybaush.substack.com/p/it-was-a-rip-snorter 

[bcstones]

Wish I knew who bought his "Affluent" line of clubs,if any...the pattent you showed was applied for in 1986 & was only granted in 1990. (took 4 years & I just edited my comment above). The logo on the putter seems familar, can't remember why...tho the putter does have "RCP7" ie Ray Cook Putter 7. No other putter made by the other Ray Cook companies use those initials "RCP).

[bcstones]

This is the only patent I could find for Affluent Golf Club, Inc (filed 1985 & accepted 1988):

[Hillandale1977]

I wondered if the putter in this patent looks like any of your Kliker Golf putter heads?  He would have applied for this patent sometime in that time period I think:  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm also curious about what the subsequent history of Affluent Golf might have been after Ray Cook was no longer involved.  It appears to me that to even access corporate records on the Texas Secretary of State website there's a requirement to set up a user account including providing credit card information.

[Hillandale1977]

I think the putter illustrated in the patent you attached that was assigned to Affluent Golf looks a lot like the B21 and the DY-A-MATIC-1 in its general shape, but they don't have the cavity on the bottom:   

 

[Hillandale1977]

Affluent Golf I

 

[Hillandale1977]

Affluent Golf II

 

[Hillandale1977]

Kliker Golf (originally Klicker)

 

[Hillandale1977]

Indication of change of name from Klicker to Kliker around April 2, 1993

 

[Hillandale1977]

As appears on the Affluent RCP-7 putter.....

 

 

 

[Hillandale1977]

The trademark application was filed in 1990; the corporate records show articles of dissolution for Affluent Golf filed in 1989.  The articles of dissolution might identify the entity to which Affluent's assets were assigned, and maybe that entity was continuing to do business as Affluent Golf.  

 

 

 

 

Edited March 4 by Hillandale1977

[Hillandale1977]

Golf Digest, May 1976

 

 

 

[bcstones]

1 hour ago, Hillandale1977 said:

Golf Digest, May 1976

 

 

 

Interesting...I think I have all of them...and a few more, he also developed brass putters, combination of aluminium & brass, & anodized copper & perhaps a red anodized mallet.

[Hillandale1977]

I recently acquired two versions of the Cat's Eye --

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 26 by Hillandale1977
Redundant photo

[Hillandale1977]

San Antonio Light, July 13, 1973, p. 35

 

Prestige Golf Tourney Here?

 

The San Antonio Golf Association will adopt a wait and see attitude toward a suggested “prestige” American Open that would supplant the historic Texas Open on the PGA tour, Bill Roth, SAGA president, said today.

 

“There will have to be a lot of study on this,” Roth added in discussing a plan offered Thursday by Ray Cook, president of Ray Cook Golf Putters, Inc., “and I don’t know too much about it right now.  As everybody knows, the association is for anything that helps golf and San Antonio and if we could be convinced an American Open would be better than a Texas Open, I’m sure we would go for it.

 

“But the Texas Open is back on its feet now and from the amount of enthusiasm that is being shown I’m certain it is going to be better this year.”

 

Cook’s plans to make an American Open a prestige event were vague, both as to the size of the purse and to how to be guaranteed of “name” players that would give such a tournament real prestige.

[Hillandale1977]

Johnny Janes “Tee to Green” column, San Antonio Light, July 15, 1973, p. 71

 

He Won’t Give Up the Ship

 

Ray Cook, the putter man, may not get a lot of encouragement immediately on his suggestion for a “prestige” American Open that would replace the Texas Open on the PGA tour, but never think that Ray won’t keep pushing.

 

Nobody took him seriously when he got into the putter manufacturing business 10 years ago but Ray had some ideas, both as to design and production, that got him into a very competitive market in a rush.  And, super salesman that he is, he now is third in total putter production in the world and heading for the top when his new plant is completed.

 

So Ray won’t go away and hide just because he doesn’t get immediate support for his plan.  It took him years to perfect his first Vi-Bra-Groov putter but he didn’t stop until he got what he wanted.  The rest is history.

[Hillandale1977]

[Hillandale1977]

Excerpt from Ray Cook Putters:  Stroke of Genius by Warren Jennings, San Antonio Light, May 23, 1976, 12-F

 

Ray Cook, who came up with what has proven to be some revolutionary ideas concerning putters as far back as 20 years ago, sold his interest in the company in September 1974 to [Robert] Olson. 

 

Cook began production on his first model 13 years ago in a small store on Basse Road.  Today there are 20 different putters in the basic Ray Cook pro line.

 

Until six months ago they were sold only through pro shops.  Now the company has a retail line for sporting goods stores and elsewhere.

 

“Only 10 per cent of all golf equipment is sold in pro shops.  In the past six months we have introduced five new putters in the Ray Cook American Open retail line.  Some of the manufacturing steps have been reduced, but it is a highly-competitive line and still has all the Ray Cook quality,” said Olson.

 

In addition to the pro and retail lines, the company has produced a line of putters for the prestigious Ben Hogan Co. for a number of years.

 

Suggested retail price for a putter in the pro line is $22.50.  The American Open clubs sell for around $10 each.

[bcstones]

On 4/3/2025 at 9:33 PM, Hillandale1977 said:

I found 5 putters marked "American Open by Ray Cook SA"...all brass - from left to right:
unk model flanged, #2 Asp(ish), #3 open dugout back, #4 another open dugout back (tho blade is slightly "Cash-In"like  or "Spur"ish), #5 reminds me of the MacGregor Jerry Glynn.

The #4 had been filled in with lead...yes, it took an hour to dig that crap out (I could rant here, but I shall refrain).
I've also got to wonder at the total lack of lie in #4...tho I do like the way it feels (now that the lead crap is out of it). 🙃😂

 

 

 

 

I guess this is all five of the "American Open" putters Ray Cook designed in hopes of building another Open in Texas

Edited April 7 by bcstones

[bcstones]

Here's an interesting trio of brass putter (left to right):
Ray Cook gen2 "Nugget", a prototype from Ray Cook (SA) & a 1984 Ben Hogan Radial.
 

I reiterate here: I bought from Odel Trueblook (the Elder Pro) I helped. Odel was friends with Ray Cook & bought everything that was stored in Cook's garage & I bought everything that was left from Odel. there were unfinished putters that I put a shaft/grip on to see how they handled. That is one in the middle. 

I thought it interesting that the Hogan Radial was almost a clone of the middle unfinished Ray Cook (SA) putter. It is not marked "DBRC".

I thought it was interesting

[bcstones]

@bottles You mentioned having a "Ray Cook" Blue Goose putter in a find (& on another threaad). I just didn't feel like posting the same pictures on a few different threads.
I have these 4 Generation2 Ray Cook "Blue Goose" putters (left to right): anodized (?) copper, blued, plain steel, & blued. The difference is noticed till the sole & back are shown. The first two have that Anser like slit & a back reminicent of the Anser. The other two have that gentle curve (more pleasing to my eye).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a Gen3 Blue Goose (check the different Ray Cook logo)

 

 

 

 

similar back to the first two of the Gen2 Blue Goose.

Edited April 7 by bcstones

[Hillandale1977]

Fantastic collection of putters!  

 

The Hogan Radial and the "the middle unfinished Ray Cook (SA) putter" look a lot like the Ben Hogan 1425 (DBRC) although the 1425 has only two weights.

 

 

I guess the way the grooves cut into the tops form a T are the "T-square groove design principle" Ray Cook said would be used in some of the DBRC putters.  

 

 

 

Edited April 10 by Hillandale1977

[Hillandale1977]

Ben Hogan 1415, 1420, and 1425 (DBRC) with the t-shaped grooves.  I love the sound the 1415 makes when it strikes the ball.

 

 

 

 

[Hillandale1977]