Page 147 - Kennemerland VOC ship, 1664 - Published Reports

R. STGNUIT: 17th-CENTURY GOLFCLUB HEADS FOUND DURING UNDERWATER EXCAVATIONS
Figure 2.
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Plain golf club heads from the Lusrdruger (brass). (a) ‘Small head with the inner wooden remains of end of stock in situ; (no. 18). (b) ‘Large’ head shown without the inner wooden remains of end of stock, (no. 17). (c) End of stock of Robinia pseudoacacia taken out of club head. Note slitting, vertical wooden peg, vertical notches and adhering remains of glue. (Drawing: Robert Stenuit).
point at its fall, but noted by ball-markers [fore- caddies], and colfing on, striking a post, or striking for the furthest, stroke by stroke, for “whities” [agreed target or a gallon of beer] in the pub notching [the strokes] on a slender branch which each sticks into the front of his coat. For he who does not mind his tally-rod shall erase the score all together [be disqualified]. ..
Dutch 17th-century iconographical evidence, however, indicates that one club only was used during a game by each colfplayer (Figs 3,4,5). The player is not shown carryingeven two differ- ent clubs or having them carried for him. In Scotland, however, the situation was already dif- ferent for the gof players of the 18th century, although the irons were quite different from the known Dutch 17th-century types. Stirk and Henderson(1979:279;1980)referonlytometallic heads made of iron. Only heads made of brass, lead or pewter (Table I) have been found in wrecks and land excavations but these examples should not be interpreted as showing that the
game was played, in earlier times, only with metallicheads.Bothtypesofheadswereused,but only metallic ones are likely to survive in land or under the sea.
The stocks
The use of Robinia pseudoacacia is of interest since it seems to be the earliest recorded, pre- cisely-dated used of the wood in Europe and certainly the only example of its being used for golf clubs. The earliest known referenqes to the type of wood used on both sides of the North Sea were to ash and/or hazel or, later, to hickory.
Stirk(1980:145)explains:‘Thebestshaftswere of ring hickory, these being made from laths cut from the center of the hickory tree where some of thegrainhadanappearanceofaringaroundthe shaft: such shafts were said to be unbreakable.’ In addition to the ash club shaft in the 1657 Dutch poem, thereare 17th-and 18th-centuryreferences to hazel and ash being preferred by different
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