History of the PING Putter

By Brian Moritz

Since 1959, the PING brand has been one of the top brand names of golf clubs. PING putters are manufactured by Karsten Manufacturing.

Location

The company was founded in California and is now based in Phoenix, Arizona. It sells clubs in more than 70 countries worldwide.

The Founder

PING was founded by Karsten Solheim in 1959. Solheim, who was born in Norway but settled in the United States, worked as a mechanical engineer in both the computer and aerospace industries.

The Inspiration

An amateur golfer, Solheim was frustrated with his own putting and decided to design a putter that made a "ping" sound when the ball was struck correctly. Solheim designed the first PING putter--the 1A--in his garage.

Company Growth

Two years after he designed his first putter, Solheim moved his family to Arizona to further his club design business. In 1966, Solheim introduced the PING Anser putter, which proved to be one of the most successful putter designs in history.

Mainstream Acceptance

In the 1970s, Karsten Manufacturing and PING putters began to become accepted by touring professionals. By 1988, the winners of all four major tournaments used PING putters.

About The Author

Brian Moritz is an award-winning journalist living in upstate New York. Since 1999, he's written for the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, Fort Worth Star Telegram, St. Anthony's Messenger, the Portland Press-Herald, the Binghamton Press and Sun-Bulletin and The Times Herald in Olean, N.Y. He's now a graduate student at Syracuse University.

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