Club:   Patent MSD 3 Model Aluminium head Pitching Mashie with metal iron face insert.

Maker: Standard Golf Co., Sunderland

Year: c.1910

Shaft: Original shaft stamped "Shafted by Sunderland Golf Co., Sunderland" just below the grip. Shaft straight, with no signs of spits or cracks. Replacement suede grip.

Length: 37”

Loft: 38 degrees

Condition: Good for age, with dents and marks on aluminium head which are consistent with use. There are no cracks to aluminium hosel, and no visible splits or cracks to hickory shaft.

Other details: This is the MSD 3 Model Pitching Mashie with 38 degrees loft that equates to a modern day fairway wood. This club is unusual (in relation to most MSD 3 clubs) in that it has a 'factory fitted' iron insert in the face protecting the leading edge and the area most prone to impact damage. The head is stamped with the Patent no., and the sole stamped 'Standard Lie' with a weight of 9oz 12drs. Original shaft bored straight through head, with clear makers stamp below grip.

The company was formed by Sir William Mills, who had one of the first, if not the first,   aluminium plants, producing alloy castings mainly for the marine industry. He pioneered the use of aluminium for making golf clubs, with his first golf club patent in 1896. The Standard Golf Company made numerous different aluminium ‘wood’ and putter designs, which were usually stamped on the sole with the details, such as model number, weight and lie.

Wood and iron had always been the predominant materials used for making clubs, but with the development of aluminium in the later part of the 19th century, manufacturers started to experiment with this new metal. The advantages were many, but primarily, aluminium could be cast in moulds, so costs were greatly reduced, and production was simplified. Aluminium did not expand and contract when wet, which was the major problem with wooden club heads, and did not rust and corrode, as was the case with iron heads.