Tested & Reviewed: Cleveland Huntington Beach Putter

Today, you can find second-generation Cleveland Huntington Beach SOFT putters for $149, and we’re confident in saying that every single one of these putters outperforms its price. There is also a new Milled line of Huntington Beach SOFT putters, with some models that overlap the standard lineup, and some unique models mixed in. 

There's no doubt these are high-quality putters. With putter pricing skyrocketing across the industry, Cleveland has carved a nice home for this well-priced lineup.

We love that each Huntington Beach Soft putter is stable at address and through the stroke, some more than others, of course. The CNC milling feels consistent with putters that cost a lot more. If you’re a materials snob, you’ll be impressed by the 304 Stainless Steel, which is soft and delivers a nice feel at impact.

The "SOFT" in the Cleveland Huntington Beach Soft name is an acronym for “Speed Optimized Face Technology” and after testing, we agree with Cleveland's marketing claims of consistent distance and accuracy. Here are some of biggest pros and cons of the Cleveland Huntington Beach Soft lineup of putters.

Here is an overview of each of the Cleveland Huntington Beach Soft 2 putters in the current lineup. 

There is also a new Milled line of Huntington Beach SOFT putters, which has some models that overlap the standard lineup, and some unique models as well. The more premium milled series consists of 10 different models starting at $199, with an optional multi-material shaft that brings the price to $249.

Here’s a look at the complete Milled Series lineup.

Some would call the #8 an extended blade, and they’d be correct. This 8S is a traditional blade with a little more meat on it. With a slant neck hosel, this version has moderate toe hang and is suitable for players with some arc in their stroke.

This #10.5 model is the only mallet with a plumber’s neck in the family, making it great for players who have some arc in their stroke yet appreciate the forgiveness and look of a mallet putter.

Cleveland wanted to make sure every type of player had a version of the #11 winged mallet of the family that they could use, so this 11C option is here to appease the center-shafted folks. Given the center-shafted, face balanced profile, this is best fit for players with a straight stroke.

The #11S has all the qualities of the #11, but with a slant neck and moderate toe hang. If you have a straight stroke, you’ll find the standard #11 to be a bit more forgiving. If you have a slight arc, try the 11S and you’ll be hooked.

The RETREVE is new for the SOFT 2 lineup, and is designed, you guessed it, to help players retrieve the ball from the hole or off the ground without bending down. The donut shape was built to the perfect specifications to snatch a ball. Our recommendtaion, however, is do not use it to fish balls out of the water. With a face balanced profile, this model is best for players with a straight stroke. 

We were blown away by the overall performance of the Cleveland Huntington Beach Soft line, even before factoring in its price, at about half of what you would pay for many top-end putters. Here are more specifics on where certain models tested the best.

Overall, the #11 and #11S stood out to us as the best overall performers. We were impressed by how they felt from close range and from a few yards off of the green. They aligned effortlessly and produced consistent lag distances.

The #11 and #11S felt the best at impact. Perhaps it was because we felt we hit the center of the face with little adjustment.

Accuracy is another area where the #11 and #11S stood out. If we weren’t in the hole, we were in tap-in range. The #8, however, pleasantly surprised us in the forgiveness category, even on putts we purposely mis-hit on the toe and heel.

The lineup of Huntington Beach SOFT 2 putters as a whole is wildly versatile. With nine different varieties, seemingly every combination of head shape and stroke type is accounted for, meaning no matter what your stroke looks like and what type of putter you feel most comfortable using, you should have no problem finding one in this lineup that suits you perfectly.

We felt every model met or exceeded its price tag, so we’ll give the value award to all 10 models. You'll have a hard time finding a better putter than this series at the $149 price point.

Cleveland Golf has always been noted for its superior wedges, but rarely hit the mark with amateur golfers for the other clubs in their lineup. Sure, the Launcher series has had tremendous success over the years, but the brand lacked a home run putter for a long time. 

The Huntington Beach SOFT  line has proven to be Cleveland’s answer to the industry, and proof that it can produce putters that rival anything else on the market, and do so at a value that makes competitors sweat.