It’s not often in the golf equipment space that a new brand emerges with a product that genuinely challenges core industry thinking, but that is precisely what Sausage Golf has done with the Boudin Noir putter.
In fact, such is the buzz around the Boudin Noir, I honestly don’t think I have ever been contacted as much on social media, being asked to get hold of a new product and put it through its paces.
Born from a unique background of golf passion and precision yacht design in the Côte d’Azur, this putter is an engineering statement. As an equipment tester, it is incredibly refreshing to test a product that is so different and has been approached from such a unique thought process and angle. So, let’s see if the Boudin Noir can scare some of the best putters in the game…
The Boudin Noir’s technology centers entirely on modularity and player flexibility, a concept that is patent pending.
The putter head, machined from aerospace-grade 6061 aluminium and finished in a sleek anodised matte black, features an interchangeable shaft module system, allowing the golfer to change the entire torque profile of the putter to their stroke preference, switching between toe hang, face balanced, or low torque configurations.
There will be some people out there (I can think of a couple of putter coaches I know for sure) who will argue it is frivolous or unnecessary to have a putter that can be moved into three different torque profiles, claiming players only fit into one specific style. I happen to entirely disagree with that sentiment.
I don't think a required torque profile for a golfer's putting stroke is like someone's DNA or fingerprint; I believe it is far more fluid than that and can alter with a slight technique change or simply organically over time.
I also think it is a fantastic option for players to be able to dip in and out of slightly different torque profiles and even looks, without having to purchase an entirely new putter, and all while maintaining all other variables like grip, length, weight, and overall aesthetic.
Be honest, who among you hasn’t come off a round of golf having holed absolutely nothing and wished you could change things up a little with the putter? With the Boudin Noir, you can do precisely that, and crucially for me, without the added complication of affecting variables such as different lengths, swing weights, total weights, lie angles, and lofts that often occur by switching putters.
Heck, you can even switch from right to left-handed if it’s really drastic!
The process of changing the screws over is, in truth, a touch fiddly, as you need to fully remove them and hold onto them while moving parts about; however, it took even someone like me with clumsy 'sausage fingers' less than two minutes each time. Hardly a big ask for the benefit of three putters in one.
The overall aesthetic is superb, featuring a fully ‘blacked out’ look with the head, shaft, and grip. The head is beautifully finished with soft curves on all the edges, which look fantastic. Due to the flat crown, it sits beautifully flush with the ground, promoting real confidence and stability at address.
The alignment cues are both brilliantly simple and visually effective in equal measure. A white line parallel to the face pops superbly against the all-black finish of the rest of the putter, and there is also a solid flange line forming a T-shape for those who prefer rear alignment.
Due to it being made from the same 6061 aluminium as L.A.B. putters, the basic feel is very similar. However, there is a touch more of a vibration and ringing to the strike of the Boudin Noir, possibly due to the minuscule air gaps that will inevitably be present from the modular design. That is in no way a criticism, I actually really liked the feel, giving the Boudin Noir potentially a touch more life to it at strike than the L.A.B. feel (which I also really like in fairness).
In its 'low torque' setting, as Sausage Golf calls it, it features a two-degree forward shaft lean, and Sausage has cleverly added a small white dot on the base of the grip that needs to line up with the white bar of the leading edge for it to play its true loft and shaft lean.
I have to say, I absolutely love the modular putter concept, and it has been brilliantly executed here. This putter is not just one for the tinkerer or hobbyist; it is absolutely a high-quality putter in its own right, even without factoring in the clever modular design.
The Boudin Noir delivers on looks, performance, stability, and an exceptional feel.
I think and hope that modular design could well be here to stay, giving golfers unprecedented control over their most personal club.
