The sun., 1916-02-28
ny JOHN q. ANDERSON.

a question which is bothering the golf
trade Just now Is whether British or
American made clubs are better. FER
haps IL may bc Interesting to others to
know "a few facts about the manuflctur-
ing styles OF both.
A month ago there appeared in q trade
Journal on this side "a statement tina, II
was only u fetish which made the pro-
fcssionals buy heads and clubs from
Scotland and England, that in the first
place all the hickory which went into
the shafts came from this country and
that the heads Of the irons-those which
were done by hand--could not have tho
same chance Of being uniform and
should therefore be considered inferior
to the clubheads which were turned out
by machinery on this side.
1t wa. stated that because most Of the
professionals on this side were OF foreign
birth, many OF them ex-club makers,
they scorned the thought Of there being
| heads made In this country Of the high
est quality.
cep, ion about the hand made clubs which
come from the other side. There are. to
my knowledge, only three places IN all
Great britain where real hand made
goods are turned out. For these no
claims are made that the clubs which
are turned out are the same. out ratiler
that they approach each other in quality
and likeness. with the added fact that
every golfer IL different and that II ~
not bad business to have heads which do
vary trlac II is fair To say that the
,rine Is almost ind'scernible and makes
no difference whatever. But In every
other iron head making establishment IN
Great Britain there Is not the slightest
difference between the manner OF making
heads and that in the United states
There is no reason for thinking that one
article is better than another. since the
same kind OF machinery turns out the
heads and the same care Is used In this
as in other lands.
There was time when drop forge
iron head making bade fair to he tine
standard for this country. in which "ase
there would have been greater demand
for the clubs from abroad. but the
makers soon found mat II they followed
after the Scottish style they would be IN
fair wa Ia get the trade. ard they
have done that with "A goodly amount Of
success, which each year becomes
greater. The Scotch ard English makers
Of iron heads say with truth that tncy
are receiving larger orders each year Tor
American consumption. but that Is only
a natural growth and does not in any
way match VI with the added nuinoer of
golfers which tn. nation has each sui-
cecding twelv.month.
Concerning wooden clubs 10, quite 80
much can he said in praise OF the foreign
article. While ~ mus: bc admitted that
tn. irons IN question are poular because
they come from a forosn land and
Usually aNe satisfaction. 1t must 10 ad-
initt,.L that II is only tho exceptional
grade q. wop,icn clubs which compares
tavorably win those of rhc United
states. \iuc-tcnths of the wooden clubs
across ia. wdt'r aye, ,oitrarN 10 uur
usual idea. turned out by machinery, ,,I,
same wa III watch the worn IS don, IN
this country. Moreover, the hickory
which is used mere is bought by agents
In tins counjry. who are A. careful a.
they cau hc abou, the purchase.
SPLENDID seasoning !, given tho wood and
the shaft. are turned down with all the
care possible but At this priu, the
American article must he -ran;ed the
scratch position. Il has been proved be-
youd a louht that tho shafts which are
turned ont with "A professional finish IN
the work shops oC this land are far and
away the finest IN the world
We know 200 t.at they are very canny
a russ ;ae water ana IL - very seldom
d dsputcd that little nj the wood goes To
waste. Here IS whore the hoino product.
meeting a highe' grade OF wooden head
competition. proves more atsfactory.
Few people Will admit that the foreign
cluo shafts ar" Ia any way equal 20
those uc American production taken as "A
whole when the best oc the fore ign
club shafts arc ru; up against the best
~ American make thc machine article
has the shade advantage. and rms fact
ia proved amrly by the orders uh,ch
arc given each year H. the Scotch and
English professionals for wooden heads
of American make.
Ru, the great demand Tor foreign
wooden clubs is on account " the
models there have been so MANY great
players on the other side who hav.
claimed mat they are more proficient
because ~ tho moicls OF clubs which
they hav" used, and there * something
IN this. Take the driver which Edward
Ray used when he won tho omen cha M
pionship a few years ago, II had q steel
face. and he had had It In h's bag FOR
,,even years, Many p'aycr bournt ore
OF thos" clubs bcjievutr 'ha' he Nuuid
have II driver which would last him the
rest Of his days some liked tine model
very much and quite likelv their gam"
has Improved II u IN" same with all
models which have = rerItItion.
'rhr Schenectady puttor would never
have become q famous club uHtl some
great PLAYER lko Travis or TraVrrS vuu
m unportan. victor, wNic using u 80
Il is that tn, models nf wooden clubs
across tho witcr have u certain rrpytH-
tiou which cannot hc ilghtly passed by.
What plrascs = golfer. wIp can tell
rarely indeed what KIND "f wood H..
clubs are made OF. Is tho mode! Of IL.
club aud it, history. Britain Is strong
past ten morths there has been An "nort
pu: forward I'm IN" way of procuring the
best American MODELS which ought IN
The near future To- bring about good
results from = uom" industry V.pw-
pr,Ht.
TA.rc are n,cu 1ud women who prefer
to >lur, 4 foreign sWcat." or oV"rc at
or su.; 90 don a habit o. foreign make,
and il is thc sam" with gulf clubs
Sor'r people who do not think at an
about the cXccl!cn,es ~ one or the
other product demand a foreign club.
wai,r others. and there arc plcrty OF
them NJ the prcson, time. believe that
they can hc much better suited with a
club from Britain than one made "A,
home Il is moro or less a matter OF
taste.
\ gaze INTO tho bag or most good
golfers will hnd rcposiug there ma
jority Of torcigu marked cluhs SO far as
tho irons are concerned. and Yet the
American manufacturer need not WORRY.
companies have been formed with a
- liz. t..,, H..