I would not usually wax lyrical about a post-WWI American club. Increasing mechanisation and automation allowed cheaper clubs to be produced, often for department stores rather than golf professionals. And that’s great, it helped popularise the game and put it within financial reach of a much larger audience than had previously been the vase.

But this is an exception, a beautiful club from MacGregor with design and aesthetics from the ‘fancy face’ to the well-machined dome at the tip of the shaft.

The light-coloured persimmon head is stamped “Yardsmore Brassie Patent October 31 1919” and has an integrated alloy backweight forming the back of the head. The sole has an unusual quadrilateral partial soleplate secured by seven brass screws. It is stamped “Brassie Peerless US Pat Off”. The crown also has the reseller’s name, “Hugh Clark”, a professional or retailer I am yet to identify.

The Yardsmore patent refers to the material used in the fancy face inlay which here forms an attractive three colour (black , green and white) fancy face) with four green circles overlapping a larger white central one on the triangular inset. Unsurprisingly, the claim was that ot made a golf ball travel “yards more”.

The good hickory shaft (for which MacGregor were renowned) is still straight. Instead of marking the shaft below the polished calfskin burgundy grip, as would usually be the case, this information. “MacGregor, Dayton, O” is stamped on an elegant wooden cap which forms tha traditional “dome” at the top of the shaft.

The Yardsmore was a very successful series of models for MacGregor running well into the modern era with another patent obtained in 1923. It would be hard to beat this early version for attractiveness.

Price $295.00 Reference: B415