Long Nosed Scared-Head Putter
MakerMade by
Ludovic Grant Sandison
(Aberdeen, Scotland, 1825 - 1884)
Datec. 1875
Object NameGolf Club
Mediumwood (oak, yew), leather
ClassificationsSports and Recreation
Dimensions98.5cm
AcquisitionPurchased in 2012 with assistance from the National Fund for Acquisitions.
LocationView by Appointment - Aberdeen Treasure Hub
Object numberABDMS088053
Keywords
Ludovic G Sandison (1825-1884) followed in the footsteps of Aberdeen's resident club maker, Alex Munro (d.1847). Sandison is listed in the Aberdeen Directories from 1856 to 1884 as a golf club and fishing tackle maker, at 118 King Street. For most of this period he is the only golf club maker listed, joined towards the end by only one other listing.
Arguably one of the more famous club makers from the late feather ball era, his work is notable by the fact that although most early cleekmakers (makers of iron clubs) included their location when marking their work - i.e. "Anderson / Anstruther" etc - Sandison was the only long-nose clubmaker to do so prior to around 1885. In his book The Golf Club, Jeffrey B Ellis, Zephyr Productions, 2003, Ellis notes that, today, "his clubs are scarce indeed".
With regards to the clubs themselves, long-nosed clubs were the type of wooden golf club used from at least the 17th century through to the mid/late 19th century. As their name suggests, their heads were long and slender, with long, supple shafts, and were used alongside the feather ball. "Scared-head" refers to the method of attaching the head to the shaft through a long, flat splice; after being glued together, the joint was bound with whipping (twine) to hold it in place. With the introduction of the gutta percha golf ball around 1850, long-nosed clubs, which were easily damaged by the new harder and heavier ball, were gradually replaced by clubs with shorter, broader and deeper clubheads - very much like those seen today.
04-Jun-1910
