Stamped "Mills Patent, Sunderland Golf Co, Sunderland, England" on the top of the head along with a sequence number, this aluminum head Mills putter is in great shape. The putter builds in an offset by setting the face back from the hosel, which itself is straight. The 34" hickory shaft is original. The bottom portion of the sheepskin grip, however, is missing but it reveals another leather grip underneath. Most likely these two grips are not original to the club, but they are old and were on the club when it was in use.
This club is from the Fred X. Fry collection and bears his inventory label on its shaft. Fry, the dean of American
golf club
collectors, was busy building his
collection forty years before the Golf Collectors Society (now The Golf
Heritage Society) was formed in 1970. Collecting with
great passion, Fry amassed approximately 450 clubs, mostly putters. He
cataloged, displayed, and cherished his treasures. A Copy of Fry's
inventory page is included with this lot. A number of national
magazines ran articles about his collection of putters between 1936 and
1963. For more on Fry and to view some of the articles, Click Here.