UK Classic Club Thread - John Letters, Ben Sayers, Slazenger, Dunlop, George Nicoll, Swilken, Petron

[BIG STU]

I know the Persimmon Golf Society is planning a big event somewhere in the UK for 2022. I know they had a poll going whether to allow period correct Graphite of Fiberglass shafts in the event. I am not familiar geographically with the UK to sumerize if it is near any of you guys. I do know I wish I could go over to play in it.

I do know you guys are UK based and were talking about pyratone shafted clubs that were made in the UK. I do have one set of pyratone clubs but not made in the UK--- I do have a set of 3800 Macgregor Tommy Armours with the green Pyratone shafts---  Merry Christmas to all you guys across the big pond

[Fellaheen51]

1 hour ago, BIG STU said:

I know the Persimmon Golf Society is planning a big event somewhere in the UK for 2022. I know they had a poll going whether to allow period correct Graphite of Fiberglass shafts in the event. I am not familiar geographically with the UK to sumerize if it is near any of you guys. I do know I wish I could go over to play in it.

I do know you guys are UK based and were talking about pyratone shafted clubs that were made in the UK. I do have one set of pyratone clubs but not made in the UK--- I do have a set of 3800 Macgregor Tommy Armours with the green Pyratone shafts---  Merry Christmas to all you guys across the big pond

 

Allow me to help you out with this.  And our UK brethren.  May have to join the PGS group to view the announcement.  Yeah, I know, FB.  However, there are several worthwhile golf implement groups that makes the obnoxiousness at least marginally tolerable.  The PGS group is courteous to one another. 

 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/189830219415

 

 

 

[Foozle]

4 hours ago, BIG STU said:

I know the Persimmon Golf Society is planning a big event somewhere in the UK for 2022. I know they had a poll going whether to allow period correct Graphite of Fiberglass shafts in the event. I am not familiar geographically with the UK to sumerize if it is near any of you guys. I do know I wish I could go over to play in it.

I do know you guys are UK based and were talking about pyratone shafted clubs that were made in the UK. I do have one set of pyratone clubs but not made in the UK--- I do have a set of 3800 Macgregor Tommy Armours with the green Pyratone shafts---  Merry Christmas to all you guys across the big pond

Stu,

A very merry Xmas to you and all vintage golf loving brethren in the USA and around the world. I hope your own health continues to improve and we can all move past this horrible pandemic in 2022.

Fairways and greens my friends.

 

[BIG STU]

3 hours ago, Fellaheen51 said:

 

Allow me to help you out with this.  And our UK brethren.  May have to join the PGS group to view the announcement.  Yeah, I know, FB.  However, there are several worthwhile golf implement groups that makes the obnoxiousness at least marginally tolerable.  The PGS group is courteous to one another. 

 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/189830219415

 

 

 

Thank you Fella--- And yes the PGS is a very informed nice group of people---- I would give my left you know what to be able to be over there and play with that bunch 4th of August 2022. And back be dammed I would play the persimmon and blades. Might hurt for a few days but it would be worth it. Man I wish we could get some events close to me like that. I know the Michigan and Wisconsin guys get together some but no one around here has any interest in Persimmon and blades. Merry Christmas Fella even though I will be on here quite a bit since I do not have anything else to do which I like no hustle and bustle for me.

[elwhippy]

I have the driver....now need to find some blades and a couple of fairway woods. 

[sevenfourate]

Just ‘built’ my first ever retro set after stumbling upon an pretty immaculate Dunlop Blueflash 1, 3 + 5 woods along with 2-SW, matching putter and bag. I just cleaned and tidied them up a little, and added some new old school covers, towel etc.

 

The contents of the tee pocket was like delving back in time too; with some Dunlop 65 balls (One still wrapped), old scorecards and a small bag of Tees with a price-tag of 2 1/2 pence on !! 
 

Must have been stored well as even the original grips are soft and supple with no cracking or hardening. At the moment they are in the man-cave. But come Summer here in the U.K - I will definitely use them on the odd occasion. 
 

I started playing around 1986. So with these sort of blades / laminate woods. But it still amazes me how small the heads are, how square the toe looks and how flat the lies are…….

 

 

 

Edited February 6, 2022 by sevenfourate

[MrFlipper]

Looks to me like you have lots of room for more clubs 🙂

Edited February 6, 2022 by MrFlipper
Typos

[Jiggered]

Those Blue Flash irons look in superb condition, there are occasional classic meets in the UK. let me know if you'd be interested.

[sevenfourate]

12 hours ago, MrFlipper said:

Looks to me like you have lots of room for more clubs 🙂

 

You've spelt Motorcycles incorrectly Sir...... 😏

 

7 hours ago, Jiggered said:

Those Blue Flash irons look in superb condition, there are occasional classic meets in the UK. let me know if you'd be interested.

 

They are very tidy indeed. Budget set in their day. But i'm sure they'll still work if wielded correctly 🤨

 

Yes; i'd be very interested in 'Classic Meets - depending on location. I believe i missed one at Kings Lynn (?) last year or the year before [Which is reasonably local to me].

 

Cheers.

Edited February 7, 2022 by sevenfourate

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

Those Dunlops look to be in remarkable condition. Are the woods in as good a shape?

 

Isn't the actual bag more Seventies that Eighties? I started playing in the late Eighties as well, and I don't remember seeing bags that shape in shops, though I do remember a fellow Junior used a old beaten-up one that was a hand-me-down from his dad.

 

 

[sevenfourate]

42 minutes ago, No_Catchy_Nickname said:

Those Dunlops look to be in remarkable condition. Are the woods in as good a shape?

 

Isn't the actual bag more Seventies that Eighties? I started playing in the late Eighties as well, and I don't remember seeing bags that shape in shops, though I do remember a fellow Junior used a old beaten-up one that was a hand-me-down from his dad.

 

 

Sorry if I mislead.

 

I started playing in the 80’s. With the same kind of tech era wise. But yes; I imagine this set is from the 70’s.

 

And yes the woods are every bit as good as the irons. Both literally look like they’ve played 20 games and then retired to the garage.

 

Cheers.

[Foozle]

16 hours ago, sevenfourate said:

Just ‘built’ my first ever retro set after stumbling upon an pretty immaculate Dunlop Blueflash 1, 3 + 5 woods along with 2-SW, matching putter and bag. I just cleaned and tidied them up a little, and added some new old school covers, towel etc.

 

The contents of the tee pocket was like delving back in time too; with some Dunlop 65 balls (One still wrapped), old scorecards and a small bag of Tees with a price-tag of 2 1/2 pence on !! 
 

Must have been stored well as even the original grips are soft and supple with no cracking or hardening. At the moment they are in the man-cave. But come Summer here in the U.K - I will definitely use them on the odd occasion. 
 

I started playing around 1986. So with these sort of blades / laminate woods. But it still amazes me how small the heads are, how square the toe looks and how flat the lies are…….

 

 

 

These look to be in stunning condition.

Blueflash (Junior)  were my first "proper" clubs. Having started with a garage and attic assortment of pyratones and hickories I gradually built up a short set of 1w, 3w, 3,5,7,9&SW getting one club on each birthday and Xmas so I guess it took the best part of 4 years to build my set! That was in the early/mid '70's. This picture shows a juvenile Foozle in natural habitat with Blueflash in hand!

Last year, for nostalgia, I picked up another short set of Blueflash. They are nothing like the condition if yours but I hope will clean up okay when I get round to it.

I am sure you will enjoy your retro golf.

[Pastit]

On 2/6/2022 at 5:14 PM, sevenfourate said:

Just ‘built’ my first ever retro set after stumbling upon an pretty immaculate Dunlop Blueflash 1, 3 + 5 woods along with 2-SW, matching putter and bag. I just cleaned and tidied them up a little, and added some new old school covers, towel etc.

 

The contents of the tee pocket was like delving back in time too; with some Dunlop 65 balls (One still wrapped), old scorecards and a small bag of Tees with a price-tag of 2 1/2 pence on !! 
 

Must have been stored well as even the original grips are soft and supple with no cracking or hardening. At the moment they are in the man-cave. But come Summer here in the U.K - I will definitely use them on the odd occasion. 
 

I started playing around 1986. So with these sort of blades / laminate woods. But it still amazes me how small the heads are, how square the toe looks and how flat the lies are…….

 

 

 

What’s under that towel ? Are you Nick Faldo in reverse I wonder. He’d a Dunlop bag but Mizuno irons -with brand name removed. Luke Donald had a TM driver with Mizuno head-cover. Who can be trusted these days? 10/10 for your tidy-garage. 

Edited February 7, 2022 by Pastit

[sevenfourate]

8 hours ago, Foozle said:

These look to be in stunning condition.

Blueflash (Junior)  were my first "proper" clubs. Having started with a garage and attic assortment of pyratones and hickories I gradually built up a short set of 1w, 3w, 3,5,7,9&SW getting one club on each birthday and Xmas so I guess it took the best part of 4 years to build my set! That was in the early/mid '70's. This picture shows a juvenile Foozle in natural habitat with Blueflash in hand!

Last year, for nostalgia, I picked up another short set of Blueflash. They are nothing like the condition if yours but I hope will clean up okay when I get round to it.

I am sure you will enjoy your retro golf.

What an unbelievably awesome picture. Love it !! Reminds me / has shades of that infamous Greg Norman pic (1986 ?) of him in his Yellow / Grey sweater…….and also digging one out of knee high hay. Brilliant. Wish I had more shots of myself in my youth…..

 

You maybe just the person to ask as a bit of an expert on BlueFlash: Do you have any idea of the approx year of manufacture of my set. Would a pic of the woods help too ?

 

7 hours ago, Pastit said:

What’s under that towel ? Are you Nick Faldo in reverse I wonder. He’d a Dunlop bag but Mizuno irons with -with brand name removed. Luke Donald had a TM driver with Mizuno head-cover. Who can be trusted these days? 10/10 for your tidy-garage. 

 
Ha on the ‘man cave’. A man’s sanctum must be just-so hey ? 😎

 

Faldo’s was a Wilson bag I think with Mizuno hardware.  I (Along with 27 million other junior golfers of the time)…so wanted to be him…..

[Foozle]

27 minutes ago, sevenfourate said:

What an unbelievably awesome picture. Love it !! Reminds me / has shades of that infamous Greg Norman pic (1986 ?) of him in his Yellow / Grey sweater…….and also digging one out of knee high hay. Brilliant. Wish I had more shots of myself in my youth…..

 

You maybe just the person to ask as a bit of an expert on BlueFlash: Do you have any idea of the approx year of manufacture of my set. Would a pic of the woods help too ?

 

 
Ha on the ‘man cave’. A man’s sanctum must be just-so hey ? 😎

 

Faldo’s was a Wilson bag I think with Mizuno hardware.  I (Along with 27 million other junior golfers of the time)…so wanted to be him…..

I probably cannot help greatly on dating your set. Esteemed brother Jiggered, the font of all knowledge on these matters is your best bet. He can decipher the logo, it's position on the head and any shaft details you may have to narrow down the date. Hopefully he will chime in.

My only observation is that yours look a more refined casting in that the leading and trailing edges are softer / rounded. My set and as best I can recall my original Junior set, are more angular with rather crude sharp edges.

If that is the case I would guess yours are a late version towards the end of a run that to my knowledge went from mid/late '60's to circa 1980.

 

 

[Jiggered]

Great picture Foozle, building up your wrists playing out of that hay!

 

The Blue Flash is a difficult club to date as it ran for so long and not being a flagship model it rarely featured in adverts with a nice picture to help date it.

 

Both examples shown above are very similar with the same head shape and possibly just the more radiused leading edge to separate them.  In the Dunlop catalogue for 1977 the set pictured is identical to those of @sevenfourateright down to the paint fill colours with the white Dunlop on the sole.  The woods shown in the catalogue have blue inserts with no insert screws, are yours the same @sevenfourate? If it does have insert screws then it would most likely predate 1977.

 

The Golf World Equipment listing for 1979 lists the shafts as Powerflex while the same listing for 1981 lists the shafts as Powerflow. If these listings can be trusted then that's a good guide for dating.

 

 

This model is by far the most often encountered, but below are two others I've recorded.

The first is I think the oldest, probably 1960s.

The second might be an Australian or Canadian version, either way it's a very attractive mussel back design.

 

 

 

 

And while we're on the subject, here are the Red Flash (which looks like it's using up left over heads from the final Dunlop Peter Thomson design) and the Black Flash which appeared in the 1988 equipment listings.

I don't think, however, that the cavity back Black Flash is anything we need concern ourselves with!

 

 

 

[sevenfourate]

7 hours ago, Jiggered said:

Great picture Foozle, building up your wrists playing out of that hay!

 

The Blue Flash is a difficult club to date as it ran for so long and not being a flagship model it rarely featured in adverts with a nice picture to help date it.

 

Both examples shown above are very similar with the same head shape and possibly just the more radiused leading edge to separate them.  In the Dunlop catalogue for 1977 the set pictured is identical to those of @sevenfourateright down to the paint fill colours with the white Dunlop on the sole.  The woods shown in the catalogue have blue inserts with no insert screws, are yours the same @sevenfourate? If it does have insert screws then it would most likely predate 1977.

 

The Golf World Equipment listing for 1979 lists the shafts as Powerflex while the same listing for 1981 lists the shafts as Powerflow. If these listings can be trusted then that's a good guide for dating.

 

 

This model is by far the most often encountered, but below are two others I've recorded.

The first is I think the oldest, probably 1960s.

The second might be an Australian or Canadian version, either way it's a very attractive mussel back design.

 

 

 

 

And while we're on the subject, here are the Red Flash (which looks like it's using up left over heads from the final Dunlop Peter Thomson design) and the Black Flash which appeared in the 1988 equipment listings.

I don't think, however, that the cavity back Black Flash is anything we need concern ourselves with!

 

 

 

Fabulous info @Jiggered. And hugely appreciate that. Great to know 👊

 

I was born in 1971. So it’s not inconceivable I COULD have started with a set of these…..

 

Spot on with your info though. And makes these right on 1977 then 😎

[Foozle]

9 hours ago, Jiggered said:

Great picture Foozle, building up your wrists playing out of that hay!

 

The Blue Flash is a difficult club to date as it ran for so long and not being a flagship model it rarely featured in adverts with a nice picture to help date it.

 

Both examples shown above are very similar with the same head shape and possibly just the more radiused leading edge to separate them.  In the Dunlop catalogue for 1977 the set pictured is identical to those of @sevenfourateright down to the paint fill colours with the white Dunlop on the sole.  The woods shown in the catalogue have blue inserts with no insert screws, are yours the same @sevenfourate? If it does have insert screws then it would most likely predate 1977.

 

The Golf World Equipment listing for 1979 lists the shafts as Powerflex while the same listing for 1981 lists the shafts as Powerflow. If these listings can be trusted then that's a good guide for dating.

 

 

This model is by far the most often encountered, but below are two others I've recorded.

The first is I think the oldest, probably 1960s.

The second might be an Australian or Canadian version, either way it's a very attractive mussel back design.

 

 

 

 

And while we're on the subject, here are the Red Flash (which looks like it's using up left over heads from the final Dunlop Peter Thomson design) and the Black Flash which appeared in the 1988 equipment listings.

I don't think, however, that the cavity back Black Flash is anything we need concern ourselves with!

 

 

 

Great info as always Jiggered, thanks!

For info, my "Junior" Blueflash woods were blue although my current set are the same as Sevenfourate's.

The picture of the elusive juvenile Foozle is dated 1976 so I would have been about to turn 10. At that point I would have still been building my short set which might explain what looks like an overly ambitious long iron in my hands! Perhaps hoping the strong right hand will power me through! 😁

The only other known picture of the juvenile Foozle looks to have been taken the same day. In the background you can see my part built set, the wood still being a pyratone Spoon as the Blueflash woods were amongst the last additions.

The very final cherry on the cake was the SI which I think I could have done with in the original picture!

 

[Swingingk]

20 hours ago, Foozle said:

Great info as always Jiggered, thanks!

For info, my "Junior" Blueflash woods were blue although my current set are the same as Sevenfourate's.

The picture of the elusive juvenile Foozle is dated 1976 so I would have been about to turn 10. At that point I would have still been building my short set which might explain what looks like an overly ambitious long iron in my hands! Perhaps hoping the strong right hand will power me through! 😁

The only other known picture of the juvenile Foozle looks to have been taken the same day. In the background you can see my part built set, the wood still being a pyratone Spoon as the Blueflash woods were amongst the last additions.

The very final cherry on the cake was the SI which I think I could have done with in the original picture!

 

These pictures are fantastic!  Sooo great.  Thanks for posting them.

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

20 hours ago, Foozle said:

Great info as always Jiggered, thanks!

For info, my "Junior" Blueflash woods were blue although my current set are the same as Sevenfourate's.

The picture of the elusive juvenile Foozle is dated 1976 so I would have been about to turn 10. At that point I would have still been building my short set which might explain what looks like an overly ambitious long iron in my hands! Perhaps hoping the strong right hand will power me through! 😁

The only other known picture of the juvenile Foozle looks to have been taken the same day. In the background you can see my part built set, the wood still being a pyratone Spoon as the Blueflash woods were amongst the last additions.

The very final cherry on the cake was the SI which I think I could have done with in the original picture!

 

 

I totally read that with David Attenborough's voice in my head.

 

"And here we have a rare glimpse of the elusive junior Foozle in his native environment, the golf course. Notice how he is ambitiously trying to blast out a long iron from the thick rough. This behaviour is typical of the younger Foozles, and they only learn that it is better to play safe with a sandwedge sometime after they reach adulthood...."

[Foozle]

1 hour ago, No_Catchy_Nickname said:

 

I totally read that with David Attenborough's voice in my head.

 

"And here we have a rare glimpse of the elusive junior Foozle in his native environment, the golf course. Notice how he is ambitiously trying to blast out a long iron from the thick rough. This behaviour is typical of the younger Foozles, and they only learn that it is better to play safe with a sandwedge sometime after they reach adulthood...."

Most know that 'to foozle" a shot is to duff or mis-hit it, to that extent there is foozle blood in every golfer but the "Foozle" (noun) is indeed are rare and elusive creature. What little is known is as follows;

Native only to the linksland of NE Scotland, the Foozle is most commonly found amongst the tall dune grass or burrowed into the gorse and whin which borders the golf course.

The juvenile Foozle identifiable by its thick plumage,  is a more confident and ambitious creature who can pitch a ball over sand or water without fear and play a variety of imaginative shots with abandon.

The adult Foozle, whose main identifying features are probably its sheer bulk and lack of plumage, is an altogether more nervous creature. 50 years of realising what can go wrong to wreck a card results in its strange ritualistic behaviours.

Confronted by a simple chip over sand, the adult Foozle will crush the grip of its wedge with enormous diamond creating force and use the leading edge of his club to power the ball into the revetted face of the bunker and down into its depths. Research suggest that the Foozle then remains hidden in the depths until it has shifted at least its own body weight in sand before re-emergence- no mean feat given the bulk previously mentioned.

The Foozle's fear of open spaces and exposure is best witnessed when it finally reaches the green where a ritual dance around the flagstick can be witnessed before the Foozle finally scurries away to the next tee.

Remarkably, despite its grotesque features, the Foozle did attract a mate. However the female (Mrs) Foozle abhors golf and so the male and female Foozle will never be seen together in the wild.

Back in the privacy of its lair, the Foozle surrounds itself with ancient artifacts that archaeologists have named as blades and persimmons from the classic era.

A curious creature indeed! 

[sevenfourate]

2 hours ago, No_Catchy_Nickname said:

 

I totally read that with David Attenborough's voice in my head.

 

"And here we have a rare glimpse of the elusive junior Foozle in his native environment, the golf course. Notice how he is ambitiously trying to blast out a long iron from the thick rough. This behaviour is typical of the younger Foozles, and they only learn that it is better to play safe with a sandwedge sometime after they reach adulthood...."

 

Hilarious 🤣

 

21 minutes ago, Foozle said:

Most know that 'to foozle" a shot is to duff or mis-hit it, to that extent there is foozle blood in every golfer but the "Foozle" (noun) is indeed are rare and elusive creature. What little is known is as follows;

Native only to the linksland of NE Scotland, the Foozle is most commonly found amongst the tall dune grass.........

 

Equally bonkers !

[Jiggered]

I was fortunate to pick up a couple of sets of Slazenger clubs recently. These are barely used men's and ladies sets that were bought together back in the early sixties, hence the matching bags.

Slazenger Bobby Locke 262 and Jean Donald JMD from I'd guess the early 1960s
Just look at those grips!

 

 

 

[Foozle]

3 hours ago, Jiggered said:

I was fortunate to pick up a couple of sets of Slazenger clubs recently. These are barely used men's and ladies sets that were bought together back in the early sixties, hence the matching bags.

Slazenger Bobby Locke 262 and Jean Donald JMD from I'd guess the early 1960s
Just look at those grips!

 

 

 

Wow!😍 Just loving these! What a statement the bags make! Super cool! Great find!

[scomac2002]

Those clubs are immaculate!  Have they even been played?

 

Where does one find clubs like that in this day and age?

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

5 hours ago, Jiggered said:

I was fortunate to pick up a couple of sets of Slazenger clubs recently. These are barely used men's and ladies sets that were bought together back in the early sixties, hence the matching bags.

Slazenger Bobby Locke 262 and Jean Donald JMD from I'd guess the early 1960s
Just look at those grips!

 

 

 

 

WOW!😍 I can only echo what @Foozle and @scomac2002 said: Great find, have they been played, and where did you find them?

 

Actually, I can add something of my own: I look forward to the video when you take them to the course😊

[Jiggered]

8 hours ago, No_Catchy_Nickname said:

 

WOW!😍 I can only echo what @Foozle and @scomac2002 said: Great find, have they been played, and where did you find them?

 

Actually, I can add something of my own: I look forward to the video when you take them to the course😊

 

They have been played but probably less than 20 or 30 rounds.

Strangely though the back of a couple of the Jean Donald clubs look like they've been dragged across concrete!

And the iron sets both go 3 to wedge with no SW, I can only assume that this is how they were bought and maybe the wedges were intended as a double duty, although they have very little bounce.

 

I'll be doing a video featuring them in due course and will provide all the background on them in the video.

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

2 hours ago, Jiggered said:

 

They have been played but probably less than 20 or 30 rounds.

Strangely though the back of a couple of the Jean Donald clubs look like they've been dragged across concrete!

And the iron sets both go 3 to wedge with no SW, I can only assume that this is how they were bought and maybe the wedges were intended as a double duty, although they have very little bounce.

 

I'll be doing a video featuring them in due course and will provide all the background on them in the video.

 

Funny you mention that about the backs of the irons. I have a 1i-SW set of MacGregor Tourney Custom SS1s, not the originals, but part of a limited edition commemorative run of 2,500 sets. Whoever first bought them does not seem to have hit them at all, because the faces are pristine, but the backs are all scratched up.

 

I can't for the life of me work out how they ended up like that. 

[Jiggered]

I played a seniors match today and my playing partner brought along a bag of woods he'd found while clearing out his recently deceased Aunt's house for me to see if I wanted any.

Most were early 2000s metal woods but among them were these three Laurie Auchterlonie woods.

 

They must have once belonged to his uncle who was apparently a decent player. 

The shafts are True Temper Pro-Fit "S" flex which I date as being 1959 at the earliest so the clubs are either from that year or the early 1960s. They're a bit of a throwback in style with no inserts and straight swept sole plates.

The stampings have been lost to varying degrees during the refinish but on one of them you can still make out "Mastercraft" as being the model.  I have a picture of the matching irons on file, also shown below.

 

I can only assume that the uncle had the woods refinished when he stopped using them and they haven't been hit since, I intend to rectify that situation soon. 🙂

 

 

 

 

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

On 6/21/2022 at 5:31 AM, Jiggered said:

I played a seniors match today and my playing partner brought along a bag of woods he'd found while clearing out his recently deceased Aunt's house for me to see if I wanted any.

Most were early 2000s metal woods but among them were these three Laurie Auchterlonie woods.

 

They must have once belonged to his uncle who was apparently a decent player. 

The shafts are True Temper Pro-Fit "S" flex which I date as being 1959 at the earliest so the clubs are either from that year or the early 1960s. They're a bit of a throwback in style with no inserts and straight swept sole plates.

The stampings have been lost to varying degrees during the refinish but on one of them you can still make out "Mastercraft" as being the model.  I have a picture of the matching irons on file, also shown below.

 

I can only assume that the uncle had the woods refinished when he stopped using them and they haven't been hit since, I intend to rectify that situation soon. 🙂

 

 

 

 

 Even back in the early Sixties, that no insert and swept-soleplate look would have been "retro", right? 

Classic classic golf?