Forgan Spoon
Robert Forgan began his career as an apprentice to his uncle, Hugh Philp
and succeeded him in 1856. He grew the business to become the world's
largest clubmakers in the 1890s. He made a set of clubs for the Prince of
Wales in 1863 and was later allowed to use the Prince's device of a plume
of three ostrich feathers. This beautiful club is stamped on the crown with
this and the Forgan name.
McEwan Playclub
Something of a dynasty in Scottish clubmaking, six generations of McEwans
made clubs beginning in Edinburgh, around 1770, with James McEwan and
later. The original of this club, the forerunner of the modern driver, was
made in the 1850s after Peter McEwan had taken over the family firm, opened
a shop in Musselburgh and begun to expand.
Philp Putter
Born in 1786, Hugh Philp started making golf clubs in 1812 and became
clubmaker to the forerunner of the Royal and Ancient in 1819. His clubs,
particularly his beautifully finished, elegant putters, were highly prized
in his own day and nowadays are probably the most sought after by
collectors fetching up to five figure sums at auction.
Rut Iron
The rut or track iron was the forerunner of the niblick and made from about
1850. Its small cuppy form was designed to hit balls out of cart tracks.
The iron hosel grips the solid hickory shaft fiercely with its saw teeth.
This "nicking" was done with hammer and chisel by the blacksmiths making
these early clubs.
|
