Update: 4-1-24

This club was once the property of Sir Alastair Buchanp-Hepburn, 7th Baronet of Smeaton-Hepburn.   Some of the very earliest records of golf from the 15th and 16th centuries include references to the family of Alastair Buchan-Hepburn.

Shortly after the death of her husband in 1567, Mary Queen of Scots is recorded as having played golf with the 4th Earl of Bothwell—James Hepburn, ancestor of Sir Alastair.  It is recorded that in 1503, the 4th Earl of Bothwell’s grandfather played golf with James IV of Scotland.  These are the first two identifiable golfers acknowledged in the history of the sport.

Sir Alastair (1931-2022) was a long-time member of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews. In 1945, his father, Sir Thomas, moved into the property of "Changford" that formerly belonged to the Robert Forgan family. It wasn't too long before Sir Alastair began to research the Forgan family and their history.  

In January 2003, Sir Alastair sold off his collection of golf antiques at a Bonhams auction in Chester, England.  Of the 66 lots that were consigned by Sir Alastair, 56 lots were Forgan clubs, of which this putter and one other putter in this auction were part.  This was a historic sale, with its heavy concentration of Forgan-made clubs.  Page 12 of that catalog is where the auctioneer located the history about Sir Alastair shared above, with thanks to a JEGA client who directed me to this reference. 

Given the historical significance of this club, the display board that was made for this club is included in this auction.  If the winning bidder does not want the board, due to shipping expense or for whatever reason, it will be returned to the consignor.  

The display board has been custom-made of the highest quality, using solid cherry wood, 23K gold leaf paint, etc, to acknowledge the connection to Sir Alastair.  There is a mounting wire on the back of the board, which measures approximately 60" x 11 1/2", it can be hung on the wall just like a picture frame.  The board is heavy, sturdy, and BEAUTIFUL. 

The brass hooks that hold the putter (the hooks can be seen on the Schenectady putter display board in this auction, lot 111) were removed from this board so that it would ship safely.  The hooks will be included with this board and can be reinstalled by the new owner upon arrival. 

Robert Forgan became a giant among clubmakers during the second half of the 18th century. He learned his craft while working as an apprentice to Hugh Philp. In 1856, upon Philp's death, Forgan took over Philp's clubmaking business and prospered well into the 20th

This circa 1885-1890 putter is stamped with the small "R Forgan" and the Prince of Wales plume that Forgan routinely stamped on his 1870-90 long nose clubs is not there.  Either the stamp was left off for whatever reason, or it was lost in the course of touching up/polishing the finish on the top of the head at some point in time.  Whatever work was done was top notch, as the finish looks untouched for all intents and purposes. Note that the geometry of the top of this head looks untouched, so there is a good chance the plume was never there. 

The 36 1/2" shaft has its original sheepskin grip.  The head masures 5 1/2" in length,  1 7/8" in width, and 1 1/8 inches in face depth.  This is a beautiful club that presents exceptionally well. 

For more on Forgan and his prominent role in the history of clubmaking, see TCA2 v1 p70-74.

This club is third from the right in the accompanying 9-putter group image.