Meet Putter and Sandy of The Littlest Golfer
We started with a vision, and that vision, or concept became the dream. Not unlike recounting a round of golf and describing your birdie putt on hole 18, and then going back through your round to the beginning.
We began with the idea of a children’s golf company that could not only bring kids into the game of golf, but could encourage them to “Start Younger, Play Longer!®” We wanted to manufacture clothing that stood the test of time, and remained as classic as the game itself. We knew we would need more than just clothing; we would need equipment, like clubs. There are some great club manufacturers out there, but none concentrated their efforts to the ‘littlest’ of golfers. We wanted something that would help a child learn the game correctly, so we focused on making a set of clubs that were durable, played traditionally, and were lighter than anything else on the market. We also wanted a vehicle to pique children’s interest in Golf, and one that all kids could enjoy. We thought that books and cartoons were both great ways to capture the attention of little minds, and teach them something too. The books were a no brainer, we already had our boy logo and our girl logo, we just needed to bring them to life, at least in print. ‘Putter’ and ‘Sandy’ have grown as characters, along with our books. Our ABC book, “How Putter learned his ABC’s”. Our first story book in our series, “Putter and Sandy’s Great Golf Adventure”, and “the Clubs in our bag”, a fun introduction to basic golf equipment.
Always in our mind, circulating through everything we have done, like thoughts of a “hole in one” come boiling to the surface when standing on the tee box of a par 3, was the desire to truly give them life! Ok, not like young Frankenstein, no kites, or even ‘1 irons’ held to the sky during a lightning storm, but just as aggressive: Animation. Part of what was needed was ‘putting on paper’, the personalities of these two turtles. If you haven’t gotten to know Putter and Sandy yet, allow me to introduce you to them now:
Putter: 5 year old male (imaginary turtle years), Sandy’s older brother.
Personality: Putter is energetic, and ready to take on the world. He loves golf, and wants to be a tour pro, though he gets by mainly on raw talent, not practice. He likes to move on to the next task, which sometimes comes back to bite him. He loves to beat Sandy in golf, and sometimes wishes she was as competitive as he was, or at least that it bothered her a little more. At face value, Putter see’s the world as a win, or lose proposition. He likes to make every shot ‘its own game’, like farthest drive, closest to the pin, fewest putts, longest putts, you name it. His desire to excel brings the temptation to sometimes improve his lie, take a mulligan, drop a ball etc. but he almost always does the right thing. He would never cheat in competition, but will say that practice doesn’t count, “it’s just for fun” Putter needs some discipline, whether it is practicing golf, doing chores, or even homework. He has a great zest for life, and a great smile, and he is aware that people are drawn to him….so there is always a temptation to manipulate others with his charm. He has a tendency to be loud, and he talks a lot! He could stand to work on listening skills. He loves his sister, and is usually looking out for her. He is all little boy!
Sandy: 3 ½ year old female (imaginary turtle years.) Putter is her older brother.
Sandy comes off as being more reserved, but often it is to keep Putter from getting into trouble. She can easily be persuaded to get into mischief, especially by Putter. She is serious about practice; she is focused, and feels like it is her duty to be responsible. She is a rule follower, in golf and in life. She will cross the street at a crossing, because that is what you’re supposed to do. She is very competitive, but never shows it, at least to putter. She is aware that he can’t stand it when she acts as if getting beat at something is no big deal. She wins almost every tournament, but her main competition is always herself…and PUTTER! She is honest, and tells it like it is. She does not need outside affirmation like her brother, but she enjoys it. She loves her brother, and likes him most of the time. She looks up to him.
She is very thorough in her chores, school work and practice. She does things once, and does them right! She follows directions well, and she listens. She is a girl.