That's the name of Ralph Livingston's long awaited book on the famed Scot club maker and in it, Ralph's passion for Stewart clubs pours out from each of the 330 plus pages.
Let's face it: Everyone of us needs a Fairlie Anti-Shanking Putting Cleek.
What in fact happened to naming clubs? A Mongrel Mashie is too delightful to let slip away and be replaced by something so pedestrian as a '3 iron.' Clubs were made for specific holes and for instance, I bought a Ben Sayer Redan iron from Ralph ~ five years ago that was instrumental in trouncing Joe Andriole at Old Macdonald in late May this year. The Swilcan pitcher with its 44 degrees of loft is another example of a club that was made to combat a certain famous hazard. Such clubs and the accompanying information make this book a must for any fan of golf course architecture.
After Stewart died in 1931, Hammond wrote that Stewart was 'a ceaseless experimenter and considered each head a work of art alone.' Did you know that Stewart was making Steel Mallet head putters in the 1920s? I thought Mallet heads came after WWII. Other facts laced throughout the book help the reader appreciate when and how technology changed (and the subsequent effects that had on golf course architecture from 1901 to WWII). We all know about the 'new' ball in 1901 but I did not know, for instance, that the USGA sanctioned steel shafts as early as 1924 but Stewart didn't fit any of his clubs with them until 1929 when the R&A approved them as well.
Ralph sprinkles some outrageously amusing quotes throughout his 300 plus page book. Take this one from Rube Goldberg: 'The only good my backspin mashie ever did me was to use it as an onion grater when we were fortunate enough to have caviar sandwiches on picnics.' If that doesn't sound like something Adam Clayman would write
, I don't know what does! The deep groove irons to which Rube refers were banned in 1922 by the R&A and USGA. There is a great story/quote by Bob Jones on how to play a push iron and John Low describes how Willie Park 'half-tops' his putts for the sake of getting top spin.
As you might imagine, the best thing is seeing such beautiful hickory clubs in action. Ralph brought a backward Willie Kidd putter (the hosel is at the toe of the club!) to Mid Pines a few years back and watching the expression on people's faces when they realized just how functional it is was 'Mastercard priceless.'
Here is an example of a Stewart mid-iron. Sourced through Ralph, no doubt Tom Huckaby and Pat Mucci both remember with dread how effective this beauty behaved at Sand Hills a few years ago.
The art of club making is near dead today by comparison with only a few places like Miura, George Izett and Scratch making clubs of distinction. I highly recommend Ralph's new book as it brings back the romance of the game and congratulations to King Ralph for producing this cornerstone book. Though it might be unlikely to zoom past The Girl Who Kicked Hornet's Nest in terms of copies sold, we all win when such knowledgeable people selflessly share their information and there is no better example of that than this book.
Cheers,