Precision engineer, European Clubmaker of the Year, Master Clubmaker and custom fitter, Peter Doyle, has just unveiled his latest putter design, the new Aidhm K Series with patented 4CORE technology and wants to partner with industry to bring it to a global audience. 

Change the face of golf across the globe

Aidhm, pronounced ‘I am’ is an Irish word and translates into ‘to take aim’. And as St Patrick’s Day looms, Doyle is hoping for ‘a rub of the green’ and is reaching out the US manufacturers, in particular, to partner with him and change the face of golf across the globe.

The 4CORE series of putters incorporate Doyle’s Vibration Absorption Core Technology, the first of its kind anywhere in the world. “It’s the first deviation from solid or face insert technology in more than 60 years of putter design,” says Doyle, who runs Precision Fit Golf in Waterford.

It’s the latest innovation for Doyle and his firm, Aidhm Irish Putters, and allows golfers to actually ‘Feel the Green’, says Doyle. “This launch comes less than a year after Quintic Consultancy UK put its predecessor, the Aidhm R Series Blade Putter, through a rigorous, hi-tech test. They found it gave the most consistent roll of three putters tested, and was much more forgiving on off-centre hits.”

Same specifications as a tour product

“One of our competitors was a global brand widely used on the PGA circuit, and our R Series Blade made it look average,” says Doyle. “The average golfer tends to use a prorduct because it is endorsed by tour professionals. But clubs that are built for recreational golfers may not be built to the same specifications as a tour product.

“We believe a putter should be more than just a name or a brand. It should be well engineered, well built and perform consistently. The R Series Blade, our first putter design, gives the average golfer access to a tour quality product.

“What still surprises me is that golfers will spend so much more on irons, woods and wedges, which make up only a fraction of their game and not give consideration to what is clearly the most important part of those clubs, the golf shaft itself.

“Likewise with the putter, the player will look at a putter for aesthetics, shape, colour etc but not give consideration to whether the stroke feels pure or whether the rolls consistently or not. Like a finely struck iron shot, a putt should feel good off the face, and roll consistently towards its target, and our putters are proven and tested to do just that.  

Where the game is won and lost

“Putting can make up as much as 35% of the shots played in a round. That is where the game is won and lost, on the putting green. So why not give yourself the best chance of shooting your best score by investing in a better quality putter.”  

The Cork city native who lives in south Kilkenny owns and runs Precision Fit Golf in the seaside town of Tramore. He has put his precision engineering qualifications to excellent use over the past decade and has continuously upskilled.

While he’s keen on design, he says now is the time to manufacture for a global market. He is reaching out to manufacturers not only in Europe but across the globe in an effort to bring Aidhm Irish Putters to the next level. 

Aidhm putters are used by customers worldwide and by players at every level. “Our biggest break came in April 2019 when an American billionaire used the putter at what is easily the most prestigious course in all of Europe, Adare Manor. After failing to make any putts on the front 9, the caddy suggested the golfer try the R Series Blade, which he happened to use himself and had safely locked away in the boot of his car.

'Turning average round of golf into magical one'

“After a quick sprint to the car part to retrieve the putter, the golfer proceeded to hole every putt on the back 9, turning an average round of golf into a magical one. Within a week, we had his personal assistant contact us from California asking for one to be built for this particular client.

"Ever since, it’s been success after success for Aidhm putters. We finished the year on a high note with our R Series blade featuring in the bags of three well-known Irish celebrities who played at the Alfred Dunhill Links in St Andrews.”

The passionate clubmaker won European Clubmaker of the Year for 2019 and was crowned Irish Clubmaker of the Year in 2016. He sits on the Board of Directors for the International Clubmakers Guild and is continuously innovating and bidding to make golf more enjoyable for players of all abilities and grades.

Experience of working with various metals

Peter Doyle’s passion for golf was ignited at Harbour Point Golf Club in Little Island in his native Cork several years ago. And when a less than satisfactory refit, from a custom specialist, harmed rather than improved his game, the skilled engineer decided to put his experience of working with various metals into practice.

“I went for a fitting session, not knowing that my golf game was about to go backwards. It was two to three years before I would find out why. 

"It turned out that the custom fitter who recommended my iron shafts had them built at a length that made those clubs almost impossible to use. That's when I discovered the huge difference between basic retail custom fitting and the fitting offered by professional clubmakers and custom fitting specialists like myself.

“When I checked the manufacturer’s recommendations on that shaft, it turned out that it wasn't designed to be used at that length. Something suddenly clicked! 

"If that was the quality of golf custom fitting in Ireland, I felt that, with my passion and love for engineering, I could make a much better job of building quality golf equipment.

"To this day, players are coming in with clubs which are totally unsuitable for their height. Many of them have come from so-called custom fitters and professionals. We have the technology to do it right, to give them the right tools so they can go back playing excellent golf and really enjoying the sport.

“You wouldn’t send a club or an intercounty hurler out with a hurley that was too long or too short. Yet golfers are being sold clubs that are too generic, and not specific enough to their age, ability or skill level.  

"As a result, a lot of golfers are struggling to play consistently, week in week out, and this is turning some players completely off what is, without question, one of the best sports.

“A pro golfer wouldn’t walk into a shop and buy off the rack. So if a professional golfer needs that level of built quality to help them compete regularly on a tour, why should a club golfer with less ability settle for clubs that are mass produced, that one size is supposed to fit all?

Built to exact specifications

"Professional club-making leaves retail fitting in its wake as clients like ours ultimately end up with clubs that are built to their exact specifications.”

Clients travel to Tramore from all over the world to get their equipment built. “A lot of the equipment I supply is tour grade and regardless of whether you buy the cheapest or the most expensive components in your build, your clubs will still  be assembled to such a high degree to make your golf much more enjoyable.

"Our partners include ACCRA, KBS, PROJECT X, MIURA, SRIXON, CLEVELAND, TOUR EDGE, NEW LEVEL and GIMAR. They are just some of the premium components we supply.  

“People love what we do and with Aidhm, they particularly love the fact it’s an Irish product, designed and built in Ireland and they love the whole story behind the brand. The support from clients has been nothing short of phenomenal. They love buying Irish. The independent test results now allow me to bring Aidhm to a far wider audience from this summer.”