Vintage Golf Club, James Bradbeer

About the Item

Antique Golf Club, Scared Head Brassie A nice original beechwood head golf club with hickory shaft and sheepskin grip. The scared head club with traditional horn slip along the leading edge of the sole, full brass sole plate and lead weight to rear. The Head stamped 'James Bradbeer, Radlett, Quality Workmanship'. The whipping probably replaced at some stage. A great club in wonderful condition. The measurements of the club are; Length 109 cm Width of face 6.4 cm Depth of face 3.4 cm The early clubs are made with a hickory shaft glued to the head by means of a splice or scare joint. This joint is then further strengthened by whipping with a pitched thread. All beautifully hand made by craftsmen of the time. Taken from Wikipedia:- Cuthbert James Hunt Bradbeer (1880 - 18 August 1937) was an English professional golfer who played in the early 20th century. His best finish in a major championship was a tie for seventh in the 1913 Open Championship held on 23-24 June at Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake, England. He made his own gutta-percha golf balls and was also a club maker. Bradbeer was a frequent competitor in the Open Championship-having made at least 15 starts-and made his final appearance in 1935 at age 54. Bradbeer was born in Berrow, Somerset, England, in 1880,[1] the second child of George Bradbeer and Helena (née Hunt). He was one of nine brothers, most of whom became golf professionals. At the 1928 Open Championship James and his three youngest brothers, Bob (1894-1938), Ernest (1899-1969) and Fred (1904-1988), all qualified.[2] Of the four only Bob made the cut, finishing tied for 23rd place. As a young man he learned how to make his own gutta-percha golf balls and also apprenticed as a club maker.[3] One of his golf ball designs from circa 1904 was a bramble-patterned golf ball he called "The Finch".[4] Bradbeer was a professional at Finchley Golf Club in north London from about 1901.[5] He played in the first Tooting Bec Cup in October 1901, a tournament organised by the London and Counties Professional Golfers' Association, the forerunner of the Professional Golfers' Association which was founded later the same year.[6] In about 1905 he became the professional at Porters Park Golf Club in Radlett, England, where he stayed for over 30 years.[7] During World War I, Bradbeer served in the Sportsmen's Battalion, part of what were called the Pals Battalions which were specially constituted battalions of the British Army composed of men who had enlisted together in local recruiting drives, with the promise that they would be able to serve alongside their friends, neighbors and colleagues ("pals"), rather than being arbitrarily allocated to battalions.[8] Bradbeer was able to serve his country alongside several of his golfing acquaintances who also joined the battalion.

Dimensions:

Height: 42.92 in (109 cm)Width: 0.04 in (1 mm)Depth: 2.17 in (5.5 cm)

Materials and Techniques:

Beech,Hickory

Place of Origin:

United Kingdom

Period:

Early 20th Century

Date of Manufacture:

Circa 1900

Condition:

Replacements made: Excellent, original with new whipping. Wear consistent with age and use. Excellent, original with new whipping.