The sound of Persimmon

[Charlie Goerges]

I remember the pro at the course where I worked as a kid, played a persimmon driver until the mid-nineties. If he was losing distance with it, I don't think I want to see where he'd be hitting a new driver. He was such a good driver that when he was about to demonstrate how to hit the driver, he told us we were in for a treat! And he wasn't kidding. It was a different kind of swing than you see now. Not a lot of torque on the knees or body, the left heel significantly off the ground, but a hell of a lot of lag and he was up on his toes at impact.

[Mark Smolens]

Thanks Peter for the pics of the Macgregor persimmons.  I have a set in my living room that my dad purchased at Koganei CC back when he was stationed in the Phillipines (they were cheaper in the pro shop there, than at the PX).

Can those old persimmon clubs be re-shafted without too much difficulty?  I've tried to hit balls with them, but those 1950 steel shafts are so heavy, they feel like my sand wedge.

[Peter Wagner]

Thanks Peter for the pics of the Macgregor persimmons.  I have a set in my living room that my dad purchased at Koganei CC back when he was stationed in the Phillipines (they were cheaper in the pro shop there, than at the PX).

Can those old persimmon clubs be re-shafted without too much difficulty?  I've tried to hit balls with them, but those 1950 steel shafts are so heavy, they feel like my sand wedge.

Hi Mark,

Sure you can refit these oldies with new True Temper steel but you'll have to find someone with the experience to do the work.  There are a few variables in setting up the old clubs.  MacGregor woods had a cavity at the back of the club that was filled with lead and also a cavity under the sole plate filled with lead.  A good club fitter could add or subtract lead to help build up the right club for your game.  So it sort of depends if you want to build one to really use it or maybe just to goof around a bit.  If it's not for real use than many club fitters can do it.  If it's for more serious use than a google search will turn up a qualified expert.

Two random thoughts... look for Nuemann leather grips to complete these old Mac's... and also note the gold painted lettering is correct and the white is not in the above photo.  White was a fairly common thing in restoration because it was more pronounced but the more subtle dull gold is the way they came from the factory. Jeez, I can't remember to bring home a quart of milk but I still have the grip info on clubs from 1959 stuck in my brain.  Whack job.

Toney Penna was MacGregor's master club designer back in the day and he was responsible all of these cool old clubs.  The MacGregor TP-1 and Mike Souchek models had a taller face and were very sought after by collectors as well as those noted above.

It's fun stuff to goof around with and a very real connection to golf's past.