5,999 $
Description
| Country/Region of Manufacture: | United Kingdom |
An Early Blacksmith Made Iron 1780 - 1800 From The Cradle Of Golf Leith Edinburgh Early golf irons are among the most cherished pieces of golf memorabilia, This is a thick bladed cleek dating back to the late 1700s. These early cleeks did not function as “irons” like we all know and use today; they were actually more akin to approach putters. It has been stated that as few as 6 or 7 examples are known to exist. The offered club has been directly compared to two known similar examples, the cleek in the R&A clubhouse in St. Andrews which they have dated to 1780 and the cleek in the Bruntsfield collection which has been dated to 1800.
Though the subject of dating can be very difficult with ancient clubs, what cannot be debated is the striking similarities between the offered club and those two famous examples. This club also has similar characteristics with the very early cleek that once resided in the Jeff Ellis collection which is depicted on page 30 of THE GOLF CLUB.That club was offered during the 2007 Sotheby’s Auction of the Jeff Ellis collection Lot 546 with an auction estimate of $20,000-$30,000 and resulted in a sale of more than $20,000. In the 1980s, this cleek was discovered in a loft near Edinburgh, Scotland, close to the legendary (but now extinct) Leith Links.
This club was in Green Jacket Auctions Summer 2015 it was Lot Number 4 unfortunately, it got to $7,250.00 including the buyers premium, unfortunately it did not meet the reserve price, so now there is no reserve price and no buyers premium. Club Specs: Rivet through hosel is at an angle of 20-30 degrees (as opposed to parallel to target as seen in all later clubs). Length of hosel: 5.3/8 inches even though this club does not have typical saw tooth nicking, which would make the hosel even longer, i can imagine that because of the weight of the club the shaft broke and a replacement was used, therefore the lack of tooth nicking.Specifications
Head length = 3.7/8 inches Head width or depth = 1.1/2 Thickness of sole = 3/8 Thickness of blade at top = 5/16 Overall length of club = 37.3/4 Circumference of hosel at widest point. = 2.13/16th. Weight 552 grams or 19.40 ounces. Aprox. 37 degrees of loft. The Lie is very upright. The Club has a replacement grip.
Though the subject of dating can be very difficult with ancient clubs, what cannot be debated is the striking similarities between the offered club and those two famous examples. This club also has similar characteristics with the very early cleek that once resided in the Jeff Ellis collection which is depicted on page 30 of THE GOLF CLUB.That club was offered during the 2007 Sotheby’s Auction of the Jeff Ellis collection Lot 546 with an auction estimate of $20,000-$30,000 and resulted in a sale of more than $20,000. In the 1980s, this cleek was discovered in a loft near Edinburgh, Scotland, close to the legendary (but now extinct) Leith Links.
This club was in Green Jacket Auctions Summer 2015 it was Lot Number 4 unfortunately, it got to $7,250.00 including the buyers premium, unfortunately it did not meet the reserve price, so now there is no reserve price and no buyers premium. Club Specs: Rivet through hosel is at an angle of 20-30 degrees (as opposed to parallel to target as seen in all later clubs). Length of hosel: 5.3/8 inches even though this club does not have typical saw tooth nicking, which would make the hosel even longer, i can imagine that because of the weight of the club the shaft broke and a replacement was used, therefore the lack of tooth nicking.Specifications
Head length = 3.7/8 inches Head width or depth = 1.1/2 Thickness of sole = 3/8 Thickness of blade at top = 5/16 Overall length of club = 37.3/4 Circumference of hosel at widest point. = 2.13/16th. Weight 552 grams or 19.40 ounces. Aprox. 37 degrees of loft. The Lie is very upright. The Club has a replacement grip.