Lot # 92: MacGregor Master 30 Wood Set 1931

Starting Bid: $150.00

Bids: 9 (Bid History)

Time Left: Auction closed
Lot / Auction Closed




This lot is closed. Bidding is not allowed.

Item was in Auction "Fall 2022",
which ran from 11/3/2022 7:00 PM to
11/19/2022 8:00 PM



Offered in 1931 and 1932 at $22.50 per club, Master 30 woods found few buyers as the Great Depression in the US was well under way.  MacGregor was hoping the sheer beauty of the clubs would entice golfers to part with their dollars.  

The construction of these clubs—a driver, brassie, and spoon, is unique. A persimmon wood head is encased in black Mac-Oid. (Mac-Oid is a variation of Pyroxylin and was applied by a patented process.)  The white face and the red Scruloc inserts are all made from Mac-Oid as well.  Note, there are two small cracks located near the leading edge of the white Mac-oid face of the brassie.

The large white back weights in this set appear to be ivory, complete with the grain normally found in a sizable piece of ivory. A beautiful strip of mother-of-pear is inlaid across the crown.  The Bristol Gold Label shafts in these clubs are also covered in black Mac-Oid,

The driver has black face dots, the brassie has green face dots, the spoon has red face dots.  The grips on these clubs are not original, but they are quite historic. Each of these three clubs has a Golf Pride WRAP-ON rubber grip!

Golf Price was formed in 1849. They produced their wrap-on grip for only 1 year around 1950 before the company pulled them from the market in favor of their slip on tubular grip. According to Bill Junker, in The History of the Golf Pride Grip:

The Goodwin [wrapped] Grip emerged around 1950 and seemed to be a competitive factor... [So] We introduced the Golf Pride Wrap-on. Our competitors grip was simply a rubber strip wrapped spirally on the shaft.  It included a separate end cap piece which was placed on the shaft end before starting the grip wrap.  Our model included the end cap as part of the grip strip to be wound into place.... In about a year, however, we completely reversed our publicity.  In fact, we announced we had come to the conclusion our wrap-on did not have nearly the advantage and playability of the Golf Pride slip-on grip.  We removed it from the market.  Our competitor soon followed suit (p.51-52).

When viewing these Golf Pride wrap-on grips one can see the built in grip cap.  It is much wider than the width of the spiraling rubber below it. 

These three woods present exceptionally well. With all the ivory, mother of pearl, and white Pyroxylin faces set against the black Macoid covering the heads and shafts, this set is stunning on display and recognizable from a proverbial mile away. The rare Golf Pride Wrap-on rubber grip is the only such grip every made by Golf Pride.

For more on Master 30 clubs, see TCA2 Vol. 2 p. 662

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