"As Hugh Philp was to St. Andrews, so was the firm of McEwan & Son to Edinburgh and Musselburgh." (Golf
25, Sept. 1895, p51). indeed, the McEwan family of clubmakers were
central to the world of clubmaking from 1770, when James McEwan opened
for business, to the end of the nineteenth century, when long nose clubs
were rendered obsolete. Across that 120 year span, five generations of
the McEwan family were producing long nose clubs of the highest quality.
TCA2 V1 p43-48
Offered here is a circa 1870 McEwan putter. The head measures 5 3/4” in length, 1 1/16” in face
depth, and 1 3/4” in width. The McEwan stamp is clear on the head of the
club, and with the initials "J.S.W." The
neck whipping is modern but matches the period well. The shaft and grip are original, as is the St. Andrews bend at the top of the grip.
The head, which shows light use, is particularly attractive in shape, being a little more elongated than most from this period.
A group shot that shows many of the long nose clubs in this auction is
included with the images that accompany this lot. This McEwan long nose is the
second club from the right.