In the latter half of the 20th century designers and engineers utilised advances in material science and computer technology to greatly improve golf equipment. The following represent some of the most significant design steps. US3042405 by Karsten Solheim in 1959 Heel and Toe Balanced Golf Putter Karsten Solheim worked as an engineer for a large industrial corporation during the day, but turned to designing and making experimental golf clubs during his spare time. In 1959 he reasoned that a putter with weighting at the toe and heel would be less likely to twist due to inertial properties, and hence would putt…

Social changes of the late-Victorian era caused many more working men and women to enjoy more free-time and more wealth. In Great Britain the number of golf clubs mushroomed from 34 in 1870 to 400 in 1890. By 1910 there were over 2300 clubs, and over 4000 by 1910. Similarly, the golf craze exploded in the United States. The first club had only been established in 1888 in New York, yet by 1900 there were over 750 clubs. By 1920 the number had doubled again to nearly 1500 clubs. Needless to say, the sheer number of technological advances since has…

The first written record of golf dates to 1457 when King James II of Scotland banned it because it was interfering wth his soldiers’ archery practice.  Thankfully this law was repealed, but for several hundred years thereafter the game was largely confined to the east of Scotland, with its coastal areas of naturally short grass known as “links”. Golf at St.Andrews c1700 From the 15th to the mid-19th century golf equipment remained relatively unchanged. The clubs had long wooden heads and wooden shafts. The balls were made from leather stitched together and stuffed with goose feathers. These “feathery” balls cost…