Catalog: Antiques: Instruments and Implements: Sports (37)

Offered is a very desirable and early, circa 1890 - 1900, hickory shaft, golf club marked PETER EAGEN - PRINCETON, NJ. The leather grip is in good condition, and the straight hickory shaft sports a nice, aged patina.

This handsome club is known as a BRASSIE and measures 40 inches from heel to top of shaft. The checkering to the face, including the rams horn on the leading edge, show minimal signs of wear. The brass plate on the base notes mild wear commensurate with this club's use and 120+ years of age. The lead weight on the back is secure and protrudes slightly from its resting place.

A very fine example of an early, usable, finely-crafted golf club.

Offered is a circa early 1900s Scotland-made, hickory shaft golf club. Generous stamping is evident on the back of club including the following: "WILLIAM GIBSON - KINGHORN SCOTLAND" inside of an oval. "H LOGAN'S 'THE GENIE MODEL' MASHIE NIBLICK" - STAR cleek mark and more!

Measures 35.5 inches from heel to top of shaft. The old leather grip is in good condition. The hickory shaft is straight and has an old repair but remains quite sturdy. The face has a dot pattern and shows mild and honorable wear.

SOME HISTORY:
William Gibson was the maker of this club and Hugh Logan was the professional who endorsed the popular high-end GENIE MODEL. Gibson was born in 1868 and was first a blacksmith who turned cleekmaker (a skilled blacksmith who manufactured early iron clubs). Gibson started his firm in Edinberg in 1887 and changed its name and location to Kinghorn in 1903 when his partner passed away.

Hugh Logan was born in Prestwick, Scotland, in 1880, and first worked for Tom Morris's successor, Charles Hunter, then, honed his skills at the famous London Scottish club at Wimbledon where he patented the adjustable club 'Genii'. He was held in high regard in the club-making fraternity, he played in the OPEN numerous times, and he served as a golf professional.

Offered are two, circa 1930 era golf clubs, each sporting complete, original, leather grips and hickory shafts, all in good condition.

The first club has the following stamped on the back in an oval: "Wright & Ditson SPECIAL", plus "HAMMER FORGED" and the cleek mark image. A worn "MASHIE NIBLICK" stamp is noted on the sole. The face has a dot style stamping, and the shaft has "WRIGHT & DITSON" stamped near the grip. The shaft has an old repair and a bend. Overall, a nice club with mild wear to the metal appropriate for its age.

The second club is a handsome 3 iron Spalding Kro-Flite model sporting a lined face with a fancy circular design in the sweet spot. The #3 is stamped on the sole. The back has the following stamping: "Professional Golf Assoc. - Custom Made KRO-FLITE" and a crow cleek mark. The condition is very good noting a slight bend towards the handle and a wonderful patina.

In 1892, A. G. Spalding & Bros, acquired the Wright & Ditson Company to enhance their position in the club making industry. Wright & Ditson company was founded in 1871, and the name continued to be used by Spalding on both golf clubs & balls into the 1940's.

Offered are two, choice, circa 1920s - 1930 era hickory shaft golf clubs.

The first club, the ladies' 7 iron, comes with considerable pedigree. It was offered by the golf professional Frank Belwood while employed as Club Pro at Garden City Golf Club in NY. This club is a handsome ladies' mid iron with a somewhat low profile construction measuring 38 inches to the heel. The hickory shaft has a nice original patina. Noted is a slight bend towards the club head with a faint split at the hosel. The leather grip appears original and is in good condition except for some loss as seen in the photo. The club head sports dot face styling and is in good condition with mild leading edge dings. The back of the club is stamped "F.BELWOOD - GARDEN CITY"- (within a double oval) plus "SPECIAL - HAND FORGED, and (L)" indicating a ladies club.

The second club, a Putting Cleek, is in very good overall condition sporting a solid hickory shaft with an original patina. The early grip is generally good except for a small missing piece. The head sports a dot-punched style on the front, and the shaft is straight. The back is stamped with the following: "GUARANTEED HAND FORGED - PUTTING CLEEK" - and H. WATE?? SPECIAL" in an oval.

SOME HISTORY ON FRANK H. BELWOOD:
Garden City Golf Club, founded in 1899, was one of the first golf courses established in the USA, and in 1902, hosted the US OPEN. Frank H. Belwood was a successful golfer for many years and was the club professional for Garden City Golf Club in NY until the early 50s. He was a charter member of the PGA, and during the early history of American golf, he participated in various major tournaments competing against the best players of his era.

ADDITIONAL INFO ON THE PUTTING CLEEK:
A putting cleek has more loft than a putter. The cleek putting style was popular in early golf and it was said to give the player more options. On smoother greens, the players hands would be placed forward in the stroke to de-loft the club and get the ball rolling smoothly. On bumpy/rough greens it would be held normally and the extra loft would "raise the ball above the roughness".

Offered is this very scarce and quite early, circa 1890s, James and David Kinnell, Smooth Face Hickory Shaft Golf Club made in Scotland. Although smooth face golf clubs fell out of fashion by the very early 1900s, they were still offered in catalogues for a number of years beyond this date.

This smooth face club is stamped on the back "PRESTWICK KK CLUBS". The leather grip is in good condition, and the straight hickory shaft sports a nice aged patina.

Measures 35 inches from heel to top of shaft and is probably a MASHIE although it is not marked as such. There are various small leading edge dings and examples of wear commensurate with this club's 130+ years of age and use.

SOME HISTORY

The Kinnell brothers both served as golf professional and clubmaker at St Nicholas Golf Club . James was their pro from 1897 until 1901 and his brother David served between 1902 and 1936.

Offered are two desirable, circa 1905-1910, smooth face hickory shaft golf clubs. Smooth face golf clubs fell out of fashion, and perhaps function, by the very early 1900s, yet they were still offered in catalogues for a number of years beyond this date.

The 1st smooth face club is stamped on the back "R.B.WILSON - OK SPECIAL - MADE IN SCOTLAND". The lambskin grip is in good condition, and the hickory shaft sports a nice aged patina. It measures 38.5 inches from heel to top of shaft and is likely a MASHIE although it is not marked as such. There are various small dings, faint pitting to the metal surface and examples of wear commensurate with this club's use and 110+ years of age.

The 2nd club is marked "MORRISTOWN" on back and is very nice with minimal signs of use. There is a "sheen" seen in the sweet spot that is of unknown origin. Of note: Spalding produced a line of clubs marked 'Morristown', so this club may well be one of their earlier examples as there are no other maker marks present...an excellent club, indeed!

Here is a fine example of a club created by a skilled craftsman! It is a circa 1910, smooth face hickory shaft golf club sporting a wonderful patina, stamped on the back "NICHOLLS SPECIAL".

Smooth face golf clubs fell out of fashion, and perhaps function, by the very early 1900s, yet they were still offered in catalogues for a number of years beyond this date.

The grip is missing except for the listing which is in good condition, and the almost-straight hickory shaft sports a nice aged patina. There is a stamp near the base of the grip noting the following: ???? A.& C.P. CO. Mfgr - Westboro, Mass. It measures 37 inches from heel to top of shaft and is likely a MASHIE NIBLICK although it is not marked as such. There are various minor dings to the metal surface and examples of wear commensurate with this club's use and 110+ years of age.

Interesting notes: This club was most likely imported from Scotland and sold by the English brothers Gilbert and Bernard Nicholls who emigrated to the US in the early 1900s. Both brothers (who were not clubmakers) had excellent professional golfing careers. Interestingly, Scotland imported thousands of wooden shafts from the US during the hickory golf club era as evidenced by the Westboro, Mass stamp on shaft.

Offered is this circa 1910-1921, very scarce, Kroydon DEEP GROOVE Golf Club with atypically-designed grooves called BRICK FACE.

Deep grooved clubs were designed to significantly enhance the backspin of a golf ball. As history would have it, these clubs actually worked and gave an unfair advantage to those professionals who were adept at using them! In 1921, RIBBED GOLF CLUBS were banned just after the OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP by both the R&A and USGA.

The back of the club is stamped as follows: "Kroydon U5 ?....? J.F. MATHEWS", and measures 36.5 inches from heel to top of shaft. The leather grip appears to be original and is in good condition. The hickory shaft is straight and sturdy. The head of the club shows mild and honorable wear, good grooves with mild unobtrusive pitting to the lower surface.

A nice example of an early club with a controversial history!

For more details search DEEP GROOVE GOLF CLUB - JOCK HUTCHISON - RIBBED GOLF CLUB

Two circa 1915, aluminum, mallet head putters with hickory shafts are offered for your consideration. Both clubs are marked on the top with the following info: "STANDARD GOLF CO. - Mills Patent - Sunderland".

Club #1 has the patent # 171795 and "ENGLAND" stamped on the top. The base is stamped "BRAID-MILLS 1915 MODEL UPRIGHT LIE 9ozs 15drs". The face has a checkered pattern, slightly curved shaft and good early leather grip. It measures 35.5 inches from the heel to the top of shaft. The condition is very good with a small piece of metal missing at the front of hosel.

Club #2 is stamped on top with the patent # of 137374. The bottom is generously stamped with the following: "J.P.B. (owner), BRAID-MILLS 1915 MODEL - MEDIUM LIE - 9ozs 15 drs - HARRY O. LEE & CO. NEW YORK" (Retailer). The face has a checkered pattern and the hickory shaft is straight, sporting a good leather grip. It measures about 34 inches from the heel to the end of the grip. Overall the condition is very good commensurate with a club over 100 years old.

Together they make a nice duo of playable clubs.

SOME HISTORY:
Sir William Mills began experimenting with aluminum golf club heads in the 1890s. Mills was a marine engineer and used his company, William Mills Ltd, to branch into the golf business, leading to the Standard Golf Co.

Offered is an extremely scarce, C1860s, United Kingdom Maker, Long Nose, Long Spoon, Wood Golf Club with original finish! It measures a formidable 44 inches from the heel to the end of the shaft! What is most intriguing about this club is the modestly angled 6 inch club face which showcases the dramatic curve.

This club actually presents a number of qualities that indicate it may, in fact, be an example of pre-1860s craftsmanship: : LENGTH of the face is 6 inches. The DEPTH of the face is 1 1/8 inches max. The face is SMOOTH and CURVED, and the club head is shaped in the form of a TEARDROP. The club is UNMARKED. The neck is slightly thin at just over 3/4 inches--- all indicators of an early, pre-1860s club!

This amazing club sports most of its original varnish surface and is offered in "as found" condition. The darkening of the finish results in a wonderfully rich patina. The club displays an enchanting presence owing to the gently-sculpted angling of the face. The sole of the club is without the usual ram's horn which was the typical norm, making this particular club that much more intriguing and quite unusual!!! I have not been able to find reference to clubs that were made in this fashion. RARE!!!

The early golfer must have been quite robust and sturdy as this heavy club face is one that most folks today would have a difficult time keeping "square" at impact. Long spoon clubs were used off of grassy surfaces which accounts for the very nice condition of this beauty. Besides the unobtrusive, expected scuff marks on the sole, there is only one tiny, barely-noticeable chip on the leading edge of the club face at the sole, consistent with hitting something other than a grassy surface!

The lead on the back of the club has been partially removed to customize it for the golfer. The slightly warped hickory shaft is undamaged and sports a warm, honey-colored surface. The leather grip was expertly replaced many, many years ago and has signs of honorable wear.

The skills of the craftsman are most apparent when the club is viewed from the top. While unmarked, this club displays the form of the exceptional, highly-skilled, UK club makers of the 19th century. According to author and golf history expert, Jeffrey B. Ellis, unsigned, long-nosed golf clubs were the norm in the pre-1870 era.

This rare, antique, hand-wrought, golf club was recently acquired from the estate of a gentleman who had restored and collected golf clubs for 7 decades! His family, while settling his estate, remarked that he had "paid crazy prices for some of his collection!". This prized, rare club is certain to have been included in that category!

A phenomenal, rarely-found example of 19th century craftsmanship, and a tangible example of exemplary golfing history.

Offered are two, desirable, circa 1910 era, smooth face, hickory shaft golf clubs made in Scotland. Although smooth face golf clubs fell out of fashion and perhaps function by the very early 1900s, they were still offered in catalogues for a number of years beyond this date.

The first club is stamped "J. NICHOLLS - SPECIAL - MASHIE" and measures 34" from the heel to the top of the shaft. The second club is stamped "J. KENNEDY - SPECIAL - MASHIE" and measures 37.5 inches from the top of the club to the heel.

Both clubs have leather grips, straight hickory shafts and sport nice aged patina on the hickory shaft and the metal clubs.

There are various small leading edge dings and examples of wear on both of the clubs that are commensurate with their use and 110+ years of age. Both clubs are very likely of Scottish origin based upon the style and construction of very similar clubs found in reference sources.

Offered is this rare, circa 1910-1921, BURKE STANDARD DEEP GROOVE Golf Club that was designed to significantly enhance the backspin of a golf ball. As history would have it, the clubs actually worked and gave an unfair advantage to those professionals who were adept at using them.

The back of the club is stamped as follows: Warranted Hand Forged - BURKE STANDARD - MASHIE NIBLICK

Measures 35.5 inches from heel to top of shaft. The leather grip appears original and in good condition. The hickory shaft is mildly bent but quite sturdy. The head of the club shows modest and honorable wear and good grooves with generalized pitting to the surface.

A nice example of an early club with a controversial history!

SOME INTERESTING HISTORY:
The BURKE GOLF COMPANY started in 1910 and had a reputation for quality and intriguing innovation as evidenced by the fact that Jock Hutchison used their clubs, and Harry Vardon later gave them his endorsement. It was the company's deeply grooved mashie niblick which Hutchison used to win the 1921 Open, the first "American" to win it (although he was born and brought up in St Andrews). When the ban on such clubs later came into effect in July of that year, Jock presented the club to the R&A.

For more details search DEEP GROOVE GOLF CLUB - JOCK HUTCHISON - RIBBED GOLF CLUB

Offered is a fine, all-original, aluminum, golf mallet putter from the Dave Cuthbert shop of St. Andrews Scotland.

This well balanced and sleek appearing club sports a straight hickory shaft and a nice leather grip. Deep checkering lines adorn the face and a well struck "D. CUTHBERT - SPECIAL" stamp is seen on the top.

The condition is very good with the expected small dings, scratches and wear of a club that is over 100 years old. The club measures 34 inches from the sole to the end of the club.

SOME HISTORY

David Scott “Dave” Cuthbert was born in St. Andrews, Scotland in 1885. He got his start in golf as a caddy at St. Andrews Golf Club, and as a young man, he worked in Old Tom Morris’ golf shop. He often caddied for Freddie Tait who was one of the greatest amateurs in Great Britain. In 1912, Cuthbert learned from a friend who had worked in America that Huntingdon Valley Country Club was looking for a golf professional, so he set sail at once. He arrived in Philadelphia during a March blizzard with his golf clubs and a suitcase. He then proceeded to seek out the Huntingdon Valley green chairman. Without an appointment he announced that he was David Cuthbert of St. Andrews and he had come all the way from Scotland for the position of golf professional. He was hired and stayed seven years. He relocated to Canada for four years and returned to PA when Ashbourne Country Club opened in 1923. Cuthbert was Ashbourne’s first golf pro, and he remained there for fifteen years. In the club's opening year, 1923, Cuthbert finished second by one stroke in the 1923 Pennsylvania Open.

Up for your consideration is a handsome Hillerich and Bradbsy 7 Iron, sporting a hickory shaft and a professionally replaced leather grip. Measures 35.5 inches from heel to end of the straight shaft. The stamping on the back includes the "HAND & CARDS" CLEEK mark, and "Hillerich & Bradbsy Co. Louisville, KY". The popular club model "GRAND SLAM" is proudly stamped on the front sweet spot. The condition is very good with the expected minor scratches and dings complete with a newly replaced leather grip. Overall, this club sports a nice patina and is worthy of any collection. I believe that this club dates to the 1920 - 1930 era.

SOME HISTORY:
H&B operated as a carpentry business starting in 1855 by J.F. Hillerich. In the mid 1880s, his son expanded the business into making bats for a local semi-pro baseball team which were an instant hit with the players. In 1894, they were labeled the "LOUISVILLE SLUGGER", and in 1905, HONUS WAGNER signed an endorsing contract attesting to their quality. Salesman, Frank Bradsby, became a partner in 1916, and the company was renamed "The Hillerich and Bradsby Co". This same year, the company started making golf clubs. By 1923, TY COBB, BABE RUTH and Lou GEHRIG all used their bats!

Offered is this very scarce, circa 1910, Willie Dunn, Smooth Face Hickory Shaft Golf Club. Although smooth face golf clubs fell out of fashion by the very early 1900s, they were still offered in catalogues for a number of years beyond this date.

This smooth face club is stamped on the back "WILLIE DUNN - NEW YORK". The leather grip is in good condition, and the slightly bent hickory shaft sports a nice aged patina.

Measures 39 inches from heel to top of shaft and is probably a MASHIE although it is not marked as such. There are various small dings, mild pitting to the metal surface and examples of wear commensurate with this club's 110+ years of age and use.

Of Scottish origin, Willie Dunn settled with his wife and son in New York and established his club manufacturing business there. Not only was he a very talented golf club maker, he was also an accomplished professional golfer, finishing 2nd in the inaugural US OPEN, but also had gained a fine reputation as an outstanding golf course designer.

Offered are three, handsome, McGregor Brass head hickory shaft golf putters that are all different. All three clubs have a wonderful aged patina and solid straight shafts that include a stamp noting the following: "MADE BY THE CRAWFORD, McGREGOR, & CAMBY CO DAYTON, OHIO".

Club #1 sports sleek Art Deco styling with a milled flange on the base and a beveled edge on the top back of putter. The #60 stamped on the bevel indicates the model number. It measures 34 inches from heel to top of shaft and has small dings and surface wear commensurate with use and its 100+ years of age.

The 2nd handsome club notes fewer custom features but is similar in style and shape to club #1. Measures 34 inches from the heel to the end of the shaft and its condition is similar to club #1.

The 3rd McGregor brass putter is a smooth face blade example that sports a new grip. Measures 33 inches from heel to the end of the club and is in good condition for an 100 year old club.

A terrific trio!

Offered together are two collectible golf clubs from different makers.

The first one is a handsome club stamped "THOS. E. WILSON & Co." HAND FORGED and SPADE MASHIE. It dates to the early 1930s shortly after hickory shafted clubs transitioned to metal shafts. The club head is artfully paired with a "BRISTOL" labeled painted steel shaft and completed with a handsome leather grip. The club measures 36.5 inches from the heel to the end of the grip. The condition is good with generalized paint loss on shaft, a full original leather grip and a lightly worn club head sporting a handsome patina.

The second club sports a hickory shaft, original leather grip and a club head stamped with the following: "Professional Golfers Association" - "STANDARD" - "SPECIAL" plus the letter "W". The club is stamped "5" on the sole and measures about 36 inches from the heel to the end of the shaft. The solid shaft is slightly bent and the club head sports a nice patina showing leading edge dings.

Two very nice entry level vintage clubs!

Offered is this circa 1910s, very scarce, Macgregor DEEP GROOVE Golf Club that was designed to significantly enhance the backspin of a golf ball. As history would have it, the clubs actually worked and gave an unfair advantage to those professionals who were adept at using them.

The back of the club is stamped as follows: "PREMIER", "HA", "J.JOLLY" (probably owner) - BAKSPIN (with arrow - a Macgregor identifier) and MASHIE.

In 1921, RIBBED GOLF CLUBS also known as Deadstop Irons were banned by the R&A and USGA just after the OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP won by Jock Hutchison who had used these clubs.

Measures 36 inches from heel to top of shaft. The leather grip appears to be original and is in good condition. The hickory shaft is straight and is sturdy. The head shows minimal wear, and is my best example being offered. A showcase collectible!

For more details search DEEP GROOVE GOLF CLUB - JOCK HUTCHISON - RIBBED GOLF CLUB.