Just as the Scots invented golf, so they have been instrumental throughout its history in developing the necessary golfing equipment to play at high level.

Perhaps the most important breakthrough in golf equipment technology was the invention of the gutta percha ball which superseded its predecessors which were made of feathers in 1848. This revolutionised the production of golf balls which until then was extremely time consuming and thus expensive.
It was at this time that the art of club making came into its own. The earliest club makers were in fact the bow makers who supplied the weaponry for the army of King James II. Golf enthusiasts quickly realized the potential for using bow making techniques for the manufacture of the slender but fragile long-nosed wooden clubs that were used with feather balls.

With the advent of the ‘gutty’ ball there was more scope for club design and the coastal regions of Scotland had a plentiful supply of coal and steel. Golf professionals of the day thus began to consider the design and manufacture of the heads of the golf clubs. In the beginning, raw steel was beaten into shape by hand or using rudimentary moulds and presses. Production took place at small premises around the great links courses of Scotland.

Later in the 1920’s and 30’s new ideas and techniques were developed and production of steel shafts began to replace the original hickory wood. In the post war era club design and production continued to develop quickly as world wide tournaments offered lucrative prize money for the winning teams and the importance of top equipment became paramount.

Scottish names such as John Letters still retain their fame as producers of cutting edge golfing gear.