Every middle schooler’s least favorite game is Truth or Dare.

When was the last time someone actually picked dare when faced with the two choices?

Most often, the participants opt to tell the truth to some obscure question rather than risk subjecting themselves to an embarrassing dare.

For Weston Maughan, collegiate golfer and former PGA professional now working at one of the Silicon Slopes (that’s Utah County for those who don’t know) many tech companies, a dare isn’t a game.

It’s a challenge to do something, be something or create something. And the truth is that a friendly dare from one of Maughan’s friends led him to create one of the better-known boutique golf brands in the business.

Can you make a Tiger Woods Scotty?

That question that kickstarted it all. When a friend dared Maughan to recreate one of the most iconic putters of all time, Maughan jumped at the challenge.

After all, he’s the son of an artist.

“My father is a fine artist by trade, so at a young age I took note to art history, and learned the skills of drawing,” Maughan said.

“During the reverse engineering of this putter, I learned a lot about Scotty Cameron and gained a massive amount of respect for what he was able to do with milled putters. The excitement that I experienced during that process ultimately were the footsteps that led me to expand my business and release new designs. I don’t think there’s anything that I love more than creating product.”

That one putter turned into an obsession that’s led Maughan down a path of art: the art of (hopefully) perfecting the putter.

And that obsession can be seen in each one of his handcrafted designs.

“There is a technique called chiaroscuro, which is the use of high contrast between light and dark. As I designed my putters, I’ve always taken note of how the light bends and reflects off the surface and curves of the putter. Because of that, I paid close attention to when reflective light starts and ends, and I play with those elements to create an illusion of symmetry in my designs.”

A detail that, if not called out, would likely go unnoticed. One that is, however, a staple of his flagship Highland putter.

“On my Highland design, I widened the cavity of the putter to ensure that the radius at the bottom corners of the pocket, where it meets the flange, bends light across the flange, leaving a reflected surface of light exactly 1.68 inches wide. That is the same width as a golf ball, allowing the putter to frame the ball perfectly.”

Where we are now

That all sounds good and nice but a putter is only as good as its results, right?

And the truth is, Maughan has had success on that front, too.

One of his happy customers shot a course record 59 at Tobacco Road using a West Maughan Forestdale putter. Dustin Johnson played around with one on the putting green at a past U.S. Open.

“The putter still needs to perform, so blending the aesthetic with function and physics is what I believe makes them stand out,” Maughan stated.

What’s next?

What’s next for the scrappy putter maker out of Highland, Utah? A prototype iron set inspired by the famous Titleist 962B and, hopefully, PGA Tour victories.

“I’ve always been fascinated with them and thought the small, tour-style profile was incredibly appealing—it’s one of the most compact iron heads I’ve ever seen,” Maughan said. “My version features CNC-milled faces, grooves, and cavities, is made of forged 1020 carbon steel for a soft feel, and has dramatically increased bounce to optimize turf interaction. I built a prototype set and have played them all year—they are some of the purest irons I’ve ever hit.”

Expanding into irons is a dare that, ultimately, Maughan is up for. Because he has lofty goals. Things that you don’t put out into the universe unless you have the talent, work ethic and sheer grit to back it up.

“Within five years, I hope to have a PGA Tour win and possibly join the ranks of a major manufacturer as a lead putter designer—similar to Scotty Cameron with Titleist. In 10 years, I hope to be working with the best players in the world, creating amazing putters that perform and bring absolute joy to their users.”

The truth is, if anyone can do it, it just might be this guy who took an ordinary dare and turned it into a full-fledged business in the hardest industry in the world.

The post I Dare You To Read This. How A Friendly Dare Turned A Flatstick Fantasy Into Reality appeared first on MyGolfSpy.