"What in the world?"  Because the neck angle on this head is bent so flat, there is absolutely no way that a normal adult could stand up to the ball and hit it, at least not with any consistency.  Because the club measures 41 1/2" in length, which is typical for an adult brassie, no child could either.  So, why the big dramatic bend?

There is no documentation or any existing information that answers the above question.  But what is known—for a fact—is that this club both soles and sets up perfectly for an adult golfer playing a shot from their knees.  Shouid the golfer's ball be under tree branches that do not allow for a full upright swing but do allow for a flat from-the-knees swing, then this club would be a far better choice for that shot than any other club in the golfer's kit.  Hey, clubs have been made for stranger reasons. One-handed clubs that measure 14 inches or less in length have been made as putters (see the Whee putter in TCA2 v2 p612).  Smith's duplex chipper was even made for use when, wait for it..... under a tree or bush.(see TCA2 v2 p613).

Another factor to consider is the splice joint on this club measures a full 5 inches in length. This is much longer than even the typical 4" neck splice used on long nose clubs made during the second half of the 19th century.  There can be little doubt that this club was formed with the intent of bending the neck to such a great degree.  The added length of the neck helped facilitate that, even if not perfectly. The top of the neck did crack at some point. In the very first image that accompanies this lot, the tip of the neck can be seen a full inch above the repaired crack in the top of the neck. The wood near the tip of the neck is lighter as it was originally produced with whipping around the entire neck joint.   

It's an interesting exercise to consider the nature of this club. When it was made there were no rules as to the number of clubs the golfer could use. It was not a problem if a golfer wanted to add this club to his bag and take it to the course in case he encountered the rare occasion when it would work better than any other club.  

Part of the neck joint along with a small crack in the neck appears re-glued in modern times. The same glue used in the neck was used to fill a small crack in the sole.  The toe on the face has suffered a little damage.  The shaft and grip are original.  Just adding some neck whipping to this wild club would restore it to its original design and help it look much more attractive.  What a conversation piece!

This club is shown bottom right in the group image.