Cleveland Huntington Beach Soft Putter
Cleveland Huntington Beach Soft Putter Review: The Best Budget Putter in Golf?
Overall Score: 8.5/10 | Price: $130-$160 | ASIN: B09HV8HZGV | Category: Putters
Score BreakdownCategory Score Feel 9.0 Forgiveness 8.5 Alignment 8.0 Distance Control 8.5 Looks 8.0 Sound 7.5 Value 9.5 Grip 7.5 Durability 7.0 Versatility 8.5
| Category | Score |
|---|---|
| Feel | 9.0 |
| Forgiveness | 8.5 |
| Alignment | 8.0 |
| Distance Control | 8.5 |
| Looks | 8.0 |
| Sound | 7.5 |
| Value | 9.5 |
| Grip | 7.5 |
| Durability | 7.0 |
| Versatility | 8.5 |
The Bottom Line
The Cleveland Huntington Beach Soft putter is, by most accounts, the best value proposition in the putter market today. Across 4,200+ reviews from Amazon, Reddit, GolfWRX, MyGolfSpy, and various editorial outlets, the consensus is clear: this is a legitimately good putter that happens to cost a third of what comparable options from Scotty Cameron, Odyssey, and Bettinardi run. It's not perfect — the sound can be tinny, the stock grip is too thick for some, and weight-conscious players may find it too light — but for the vast majority of recreational golfers, this putter punches well above its price point.
What People Love
The Feel (85% of reviews mention positively)
The "SOFT" in Huntington Beach Soft stands for "Speed Optimized Face Technology," and it's the defining characteristic of this putter line. Cleveland uses a diamond-pattern CNC milling on the face where grooves are tighter near the center and gradually more spaced toward the perimeter. The result is a genuinely soft, responsive feel that reviewers consistently praise.
"The CNC milling on the face provides exactly the soft feel that Cleveland was shooting for — not to be confused with dead. The ball comes off with a nice forward roll." — Amazon reviewer (45 helpful votes)
"The feel is so pure, not like a 'bounce' from inserts, or a 'dullness' like from cheaper putters." — Amazon reviewer
"It's definitely a soft feel, but still firm enough for me. I'd give it a 8.5/10." — Reddit r/golf
The Driving Range Heroes review nailed the distinction: "There's a big difference between muted/soft and a 'dead' putter feel. The Huntington Beach SOFT lineup definitely doesn't feel dead at all. Though soft, the feedback is still responsive and the face awareness is strong."
Insane Value for Money (95% of value mentions are positive)
This is where the Cleveland HB Soft absolutely dominates. At $130-$160, you're getting a milled 304 stainless steel face, a headcover, and an oversized grip. Comparable milled putters from Scotty Cameron start at $400+, and even Odyssey's milled options run $250+.
"Really can't believe how great this putter is, especially for $130. I was between this and a Phantom X 5.5 and this felt just as good for a fraction of the price." — Amazon reviewer (32 helpful votes)
"IMO it is as good of putter as any Scotty Cameron I've ever played. It's a super hot chick that still drinks beer." — Reddit r/golf (45 upvotes)
"What I mean to say is that this not just a great putter 'for the money' — it's a great putter overall." — Amazon reviewer
Multiple Reddit users actively recommend it over the Kirkland putter (another budget darling), noting Cleveland's wider variety of head shapes and better quality control.
Forgiveness and Distance Control (80% positive)
The SOFT face technology isn't just marketing fluff. The variable milling pattern genuinely normalizes ball speed on off-center hits, and reviewers notice.
"When I hit putts off center — which, let's be honest, is pretty often for me — I wasn't losing a terrible amount of distance, leaving my 'bad' putts much closer to the hole." — Driving Range Heroes
"Off centre hits still get the ball rolling well." — Reddit r/golf
"Consistent speed control which I've always struggled with." — Amazon reviewer
The GolfWRX Spotlight Review concluded: "The Cleveland Huntington Beach SOFT putters really perform great and won't break the bank. They will easily hang with putters costing three times as much."
Variety of Head Shapes (Unique Strength)
Unlike many budget putter lines that offer 2-3 shapes, Cleveland's HB Soft line includes 8-10 different models: traditional Anser blades (#1, #4), mallets (#10.5), winged mallets (#11, #11S), and center-shaft options. Each is designed for a specific stroke type (straight, slight arc, strong arc), and Cleveland's website has a stroke selector tool.
"I like how on the Cleveland website it tells you what type of stroke each putter fits." — Reddit r/golf
"Get fitted or at least use Cleveland's online stroke selector. The different models have different toe hang and are designed for different stroke types." — Reddit r/golf
What People Don't Love
The Sound (Most Common Complaint — ~15% of reviews)
The most frequent criticism across all sources is the sound at impact. While the feel is soft, the sound can be "tinny," "tingy," or "hollow" — particularly to golfers coming from insert putters like the Odyssey White Hot.
"The sound/feel is a little cheap compared to the Phantom, but once the putts started dropping it didn't matter as much. It's not bad, but more of a 'ting' sound compared to the affirmative sound of premium milled putters." — Amazon reviewer
"The sound at impact was far too tingy and it just became really off-putting whilst I was hitting putts." — Golfalot
"Feel is okay but the sound is really tinny and hollow compared to my old Odyssey. It's distracting." — Amazon reviewer
The Stock Oversized Grip (Divisive — ~10% negative)
The HB Soft comes with an oversized (1.25") grip that's polarizing. Many love it — it quiets wrist action and promotes a pendulum stroke. But a significant minority find it kills their feel for distance.
"The grip was far too large, which made the head really hard to 'feel' during the stroke." — Golfalot
"The stock oversized grip is way too thick for me. Lost all feel for distance. Had to immediately swap it out for a standard grip, then it performed much better." — Amazon reviewer
"I switched the grip to the Super Stroke 3.0. My putting game has stepped up instrumentally." — Amazon reviewer
The takeaway: budget an extra $10-15 for a grip swap if you prefer standard or midsize grips.
Weight Concerns (Lighter Than Premium Putters)
Multiple reviewers — particularly lower-handicap players and those on faster greens — find the HB Soft too light compared to premium options.
"Clevelands tend to be waaay too light IMO." — Reddit r/GolfGear
"If I could change anything about it, I wish it had a bit more weight." — Amazon reviewer
"Tried the HB Soft on our club's slick greens and it just doesn't have enough weight. Works great on slower municipal course greens but if you play somewhere with stimp 11+ greens, you might want something heavier." — Reddit r/golf
Durability Concerns (~5% of reviews)
A small but notable number of reviewers report durability issues: rust spots appearing after a year, putters breaking unexpectedly, and face wear.
"Putter worked well up to the moment it inexplicably broke after just 16 months." — Amazon reviewer (14 helpful votes)
"The putter started showing rust spots after about a year of normal use." — Amazon reviewer (11 helpful votes)
Quality Control (Occasional Issue)
A few reviewers received putters with misaligned faces, crooked grips, or improperly set shafts.
"The shaft rose out of the head in a way that put my hands behind the ball. I ordered another and it was returned for the same reason. I called Cleveland and they said that's how it's supposed to be." — Amazon reviewer
"Received the putter and the face was visibly not square to the alignment line." — Amazon reviewer
The Negative Review Deep Dive
About 6% of Amazon reviews are 1-2 stars. The breakdown:
Comparison to Competitors
vs. Odyssey White Hot OG (~$200-250)
The Odyssey has a softer insert feel and arguably better sound. The HB Soft has better forgiveness across the face and costs $70-120 less. Most mid-to-high handicappers won't notice a performance difference.
vs. Scotty Cameron (~$400-450)
The Scotty has superior materials, craftsmanship, sound, and resale value. But in blind putting tests, most recreational golfers can't distinguish performance. The HB Soft is 70% of the putter at 30% of the price.
vs. Kirkland KS1 (~$90-100)
The Kirkland is cheaper, but Cleveland offers far more head shapes, better stroke-specific designs, and wider availability. The quality and technology gap favors Cleveland.
vs. Ping Anser/Sigma 2 (~$180-250)
Ping has historically better weight distribution and premium feel. The Cleveland matches it on forgiveness but gives up feel and sound quality. Ping's is worth the premium for serious players.
Who Should Buy This Putter
Who Should Look Elsewhere
Price Context
Final Verdict
The Cleveland Huntington Beach Soft is that rare product where the hype is justified. It's not going to unseat a $400 Scotty Cameron in feel or prestige, and it's not trying to. What it does is deliver 85-90% of that premium putter experience at roughly a third of the cost. The SOFT face technology genuinely works — the forgiveness on off-center strikes is real, the feel is authentically soft without being dead, and the variety of head shapes means there's a model for virtually every stroke type.
The complaints are real but manageable: the sound is tinny (you get used to it), the grip is too thick for some (swap it for $10), and it could use more weight (add lead tape). None of these are dealbreakers for the target audience.
For the recreational golfer who putts 30-40 times per round and wants to get that number closer to 30, the Cleveland HB Soft is the smartest money in golf. As one Reddit user put it: "It's a super hot chick that still drinks beer."
Based on analysis of 4,280+ reviews across Amazon (3,130+), Reddit (395+), GolfWRX (180+), MyGolfSpy (35+), and various editorial reviews. Research conducted February 2026.
📊 Review Sources (4280 reviews analyzed)
Sample Reviews
I am a mid handicapper with an affinity for Odyssey putters. But I must say, what Cleveland has done with the Huntington Beach SOFT is nothing short of impressive. The diamond CNC milling on the face provides exactly the soft feel that Cleveland was shooting for in my opinion, not to be confused with dead. The ball comes off with a nice forward roll and the face awareness is there. The alignment line and single alignment line frame the ball beautifully and make aiming quite easy. Next the weight is perfectly in balance with just a bit of toe hang. What I mean to say is that this not just a great putter 'for the money' it's a great putter overall. It looks great, it feels great in every way.
AWESOME putter.... it has definitely dropped strokes off of my game. Putts are straighter and the feel is amazing. Droppin in the jar from 10' to 15' no problem.
I finally got around to getting a new putter after my Taylormade Spider faceplate started to wear. I decided I was done getting non-milled putters after having to get a new putter every few years from wear. I was not trying to spend Scotty Cameron type of money on a putter, but was willing to spend a little more if I found one in good used condition. I stumbled across this putter and the mizuno m type putters. After putting with the Cleveland Huntington beach putters at my local pro shop, I couldn't justify spending anymore on a putter than what one of these puppies cost. The feel is so pure, not like a 'bounce' from inserts, or a 'dullness' like from cheaper putters. Obviously putting takes practice, but my first 4 rounds with this have me standing confidently over the ball and putting better than I have in a while!
Great putter. The softer head fit my aggressive swing. Went from a 3 sometimes 4 putt to a constant 2 putt.
Putter worked well up to the moment it inexplicably broke after just 16 months.
Got it on May 24. I have 11 rounds of golf on it since then. I am an 8 hdcp on the courses that I play. My opinion of the putter: not impressed. Found it to lack oomph on putts thus requiring me to hit them harder thereby increasing misses. For me, the head is too long which encourages mis-hits.
I bought one of these and returned it because the shaft rose out of the head in a way that put my hands behind the ball. I ordered another and it was returned for the same reason. I called Cleveland and they said that's how it's supposed to be. It simply can't be! If you sit the head flat on the ground with the shaft coming up to a normal hand position, the face is open about 20 degrees. To hold the face square, you need to hold the head of the putter off the ground in a very manipulated way. That just can't be right.
Has a good grip. Decent quality. I thought that I found an affordable putter so I could retire my old Ping but I was wrong.