£500 vs £15 putter: Is it really THAT much better?

There was a time not too long ago when the thought of paying £500 for a putter—even one hand-milled by Scotty Cameron himself—likely would have made the average golfer baulk.

But that was then, and this is now. We live in an expensive new world where thousand-dollar drivers, and increasingly $500 putters, are the norm. And not just those from those artisanally milled by some bespoke brand: Taylormade’s latest Spider 5K ZT—a club that, in fairness, we named the best zero torque putter on the market right now—will set you back just shy of £500.

All of which got us thinking: while we know getting a putter from a good brand can make a world of difference to your life on the greens, with putters these days getting as expensive as they are — do they really justify the cost compared to a budget putter? After all, putting is surely a task of mind over matter, no.

GolfMagic’s Equipment Editor Tom Usher hit the course with a TaylorMade Spider ZT, plus a Slazenger V5 he grabbed from the trusty folks down at SportsDirect, to find out.

The Slazenger VS putter is a charmingly simple thing, made, as the manufacturer claims, from high-quality zinc with a steel shaft for great balance and feel. But that's about it.

The TaylorMade, on the other hand, is about the most extensively engineered putter on the market right now, with elite balance and an expertly milled face for the utmost touch. And it's priced as such.

But how much does one club—and almost an entire monkey out of your bank balance—really make at the end of the day?

Check out everything he discovered below, and read our full TaylorMade Spider ZT putter review here.