Top 10 Persimmon Drivers on your collector's wish list

[RobotDoctor]

If you were going to collect 10 persimmon drivers, what would you choose?

 

I am a MacGregor nut so most of mine are MacGregors from the early to mid 50s, and one from 1941. There is a contemporary wood in the mix as well (as a bonus pick). Here is my list (drivers in bold/underlined are ones I own, bold with no underline are ones I owned but have sold).

 

1954-1955 MacGregor 945W

1949-1952 MacGregor 693

1953-1955 MacGregor M85W

1954 MacGregor M09 LFF

1950-1951 MacGregor M43

1941 MacGregor Tommy Armour HSW 4393

1954 MacGregor Toney Penna WWT

1954-1955 MacGregor Toney Penna TP Special

1953-1955 MacGregor M75W

1953 MacGregor 945W

Wood Brothers Texan

 

I did not own the MacGregor TA HSW (Hogan) 4393 Driver but did own a 3 wood one (regret selling it).

[dpark]

It will be interesting to see how many chime in on this thread. I wonder how many members can even name 10 different persimmon models.

 

Here is my list in no particular order:

 

Dunlop Seve Ballesteros Limited Edition

Ben Hogan Commemorative 1978

MacGregor Tommy Armour Tourney 693

MacGregor Ben Hogan 693

MacGregor Byron Nelson 693

MacGregor Toney Penna 945

MacGregor Jack Nicklaus Limited Edition 1982

MacGregor Super Eye-O-Matic Tourney M85W

MacGregor Eye-O-Matic Tourney M85W

Wilson Staff Persimmon

[freddiec]

1953 MacGregor M85W (my favorite)

1950 MacGregor Tourney Tommy Armour 693

1954 MacGregor 945W Tommy Armour Eye O Matic (red white red insert)

1954 MacGregor M75W

1954 Penna TPT

1953 945TW Tommy Armour w/ red insert

Hogan 1953 Persimmon set commerative.

Early 50s. 693 Byron Nelson. (caddied in Patty Sheehan's group in a Women's Open and she had one)

Another nice Wood Bros Texan

59 Mac Tony Penna TP1W (his personal model)

 

I currently have a full set (all orig of )M85W, M75W

 

1997 Centennial 693 (no.1 wood)

2 Wood Bros Texan drivers, (both completely different than the other).

[rgk5]

In order of preference.

 

Toney Penna Model 65

Toney Penna Model 1

MacGregor M85

Golfcraft Continental

Golfcraft El Dorado

Palmer Peerless #32

Joe Powell

Irv King

Daiwa Monodyne

Wood Bros Kool Kat

[67VIP]

I have the following:

 

Tommy Armour 653 set with red inserts

M-75 driver - nice refinish by persimmonpal

1967 VIP driver - pristine refinish by persimmonapal

195? 945 eye o matic - not sure which one

M-85 eye o matic - centennial edition

1986 Jack Nicklaus Super Eye O Matic - my personal favorite (have 3)

1986 Jack Nicklaus Super Eye O Matic 1,3,4 - special black finish...belonged to Chi Chi Rodriguez

SS1W driver - don't remember what year but very nice

 

I'd love to get an M09 Jumbo LFF and a 693. We'll see.

[freddiec]

67VIP,

Like to see a pic of that 945 if you get around to it. Them are rare and high on the eye candy list.

[jaskanski]

No Harry Busson's on anyone's list?

Hand-crafted perfection. I've only ever seen one - but it was beautiful.

[persimmonpal]

I cant get enough of MacGregor drivers. I know a collector who has over 400 MacGregor drivers.. just drivers!

Here is my list of top ten (In order)

 

1) 1941 Tommy Armour Oil Hardened Jumbo BJD

I refinished one of these once.. A truly monster head, and rare! It was 2 1/4" deep!

2) 1954 Toney Penna WW Special.

These were never mass produced; only made custom, done in white. Have never seen one (although I have seen pictures of a refinished set)

3) 1954-55 Tommy Armour 945

Absolute classic. Had a mint all original set once and sold it for 750.00... wish I hadnt

4) Armour Hogan Pro Model

I have the fairways but not the driver

5) Armour Hogan 4393

They came in black or rosewood, I would love either, and have had both (Long since sold)

6)Toney Penna TP Special.

I have a whole set, have been working on the driver which was basically destroyed when I got it.. check my posts for pics!

7)1950 Toney Penna 403PT

Toney Penna was the man

 

8)1954-55 M85 6 Screw

If its good enough for Freddy Couples its good enough for me!

9)1950-52 Armour 693

Just bought one on ebay.. cant wait to get my hands on it.. Been a long time since I had a 693

10) 1953-54 MO9 LFF

I am sure everyone on here knows what LFF stands for!

[freddiec]

Cleveland Classic at one point made a very limited amt of RC85s (not the smaller head mass produced model they sold to the public) that was absolutely identical to the M85W. I knew a guy who got one down at the PGA Show from the Cleveland Rep in Jan of 1987, or 86' and played it, it was really nice. That would actually be in my top 10.

[RobotDoctor]

I am sure everyone on here knows what LFF stands for!

 

 

"Let the F**ker Fly"

 

:D

[67VIP]

I'll try and post a few pictures tomorrow. I'll do the 67 VIP, 945, SS2W, M85, M75, and '86 JN Super Eye O Matic...which is a 945 with a smaller super insert and a diamond point on top. Hit one a few years ago w/Cally HX Tour...only a few yards short of my titanium driver at the time. Amazing clubs, drivers are not that hard to hit, fairway woods are another story.

[Ogre41]

I can't name 10. Heck I don't even know any names at this point, but I would love a Wood Bros Texan. Especially an unstained one. That would be sweet.

[MoaningM]

Beautifull......any close ups????

 

:)

[bermuda]

Would any Powerbilt Citations make the top 10?

[elwhippy]

Pardon the pun but I would love a Wood Brothers Texan. Cannot get excited about Penna's knew people whose heads swelled and cracked for fun. Had a stunning Joe Powell Lamaglass, amazing quality head, varnish was indestructible.

[67VIP]

Some of my collection.

[freddiec]

vip, Love that Centennial M85W and the 945W Tommy Armour. Sweet sticks.

[TMBob]

Some of my collection.mour

 

 

NOW that is what I am talking about.......The Super Eye O Matics.........just look at the nice grain on that Cherry stained head!

 

I played these the majority of the time.....Driver and 4 wood gripped with Neuwman Leather wraps.

 

Shot my best two rounds back to back with a Power Bilt Citation driver though.......had some sort of Lightweight steel in it......forgot what it was.

 

One other Driver I will mention, is the George Bayer deep face model driver, which most could not get airborne........there was a certain Kid from my neck of the woods that played this driver who has had a pretty good go of it on the PGA. He also had a sweet 3 wood that I think was some sort of Armour, that he hit further then most other people did with their driver.

 

BG

[freddiec]

This is my favorite.

[67VIP]

I love the Jack Nicklaus SEOM drivers, I have three...one of which I hit every now and then. They actually are not that hard to hit...just need a smooth swing. Hard to believe Mac only made those clubs one year...1986.

[freddiec]

Those Jack Super EOMs have super grain. I especially like the one in the front, beautiful.

[rich13]

No Harry Busson's on anyone's list?

Hand-crafted perfection. I've only ever seen one - but it was beautiful.

 

Here you go........ :drinks:

 

 

[Corgi]

Sorry about that. I just drooled on my keyboard. : )

[thenation48]

Would any Powerbilt Citations make the top 10?

 

+1

[freddiec]

Here is a 1954 945W EOM. Absolutely beautiful. This one still has the orig tourney shaft. I got lucky adding this to my small collection.

[Swingtheclub]

grins I would not know where to begin the old McGregors were sweet so were the later Tony Penna's

 

and I am so damn old I cant remember some of the others.

 

Please if your old McGregor Experts look at the ones in my whats in the bag museum and tell me what year and what else you can tell me about them.

[freddiec]

Ken,

I just went through your museum and you got some nice oldies. The eye o matic fway wood is from the mid 50s, I'd say, the Jimmy D. wood you posted is most likely from the late 40s. Gotta love it. Nice to own some real golf history.

 

Fred

[Swingtheclub]

two of my favorites are my Byron Nelson 1 and 3 wood my dad bought them and the 3 5 7 9 at a yardsale for five bucks . They were storeline and had cheap store line shafts. But the prettiest grain wood I ever saw I reshafted them and refinished them and played with them for a while.

 

The woods were actually worth $200 a piece at one time according to a collectors book but thanks to ebay none of the old stuff is worth much anymore.

 

 

thanks for your comments I kind of figured the Jimmy Demaret for the fortys

[palmettoman]

I have 2 from the 80's:

 

Powerbuilt Citation

First Flight (don't know the model)

 

Also have a Lawson Little from the 30's-40's that belonged to my grandfather.

 

Anyone tried to hit their's recently? I tried my First Flight a couple of months ago...quite funny! I could barely get it airborne.

[dhabomb]

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