Club: Child's Crown stamped R. Forgan & Son Driver

Maker: Robert Forgan & Son, St. Andrews, Scotland.

Year: c.1902

Shaft: Original, straight shaft. Vintage grip.

Length: 22.5"

Condition: Good for age. Clear name and Crown stamped to head. Some knocks and dents as to be expected with a well used child's club.

Other details:

This child's wood Driver was owned and part of the David Stirk (Golf historian and co-author of "Golf In The Making") collection. David's hand written notes on the club are attached, giving a description and condition report of the club. The description reads;

"This is a genuine child's driver made by Robert Forgan c.1902. The Crown stamp vindicates that it was made during the reign of Edward VII, at which time Forgan was "By Appointment". Children's clubs are not common - the majority of them are "cut down" adult clubs. This one is of particular interest in that, probably because it was for a child, the clubmaker did not need to put lead in the head and did not consider it worth putting a horn insert in the leading edge. The result of the latter is that the leading edge is rough, chipped and rounded. If a small child could cause this much damage, the importance of a horn insert in adult clubs is emphasized."

Robert Forgan was one of Scotland’s finest clubmakers, having learned the skills from his uncle, Hugh Philp, who is regarded as the greatest of all longnose clubmakers. He intially worked for, and then took over, the business on his uncle’s death in 1856. In 1863 Forgan was appointed clubmaker to H.R.H. Prince of Wales, and thereafter stamped his clubs  with the Prince of Wales plume of feathers. The stamp changed to a crown mark in 1901 when the Prince became King Edward VII and this was used until 1908. The Robert Forgan workshops overlooked the famous St. Andrews golf course.