Forgan unveils celebration irons
150-year anniversary shared with The Open
The world’s oldest golf club makers, Forgan of St Andrews, established in 1860, has launched a set of Limited Edition forged blades to celebrate the coinciding 150th anniversary landmark it shares with this year's Open Championship.
Made from a high grade forged steel, with Dynamic Gold steel shafts and a choice of custom fit options, the expertly-crafted irons are destined to become a collector’s item with only 150 sets made.
European Seniors Tour stars Ian Woosnam, the 1991US Masters champion and his long-time pal DJ Russell will both carry the blades in their Forgan bags this year as well as promoting the brand on their caps.
Each club in the £999 set (3-iron to sand wedge), has been engraved with distinctive celebratory logos and Forgan boss Simon Millington, says: "No other brand in the world has a club-making pedigree to match Forgan. In the late 1800s the company dried imported hickory by the side of the 17th fairway of The old Course at St Andrews, so it’s hugely fitting that we should celebrate our 150th anniversary with The Open played there this year.
“Many golf club collectors treasure famous Forgan clubs of from the past so now they have have a chance to see what modern technology can achieve."
Forgan can trace its roots back to 1819 when Hugh Philp was appointed club maker to the Society of St. Andrews golfers (later the Royal & Ancient) and his putter especially established a unique reputation. In 1852, his nephew Robert Forgan took over the family 'Philp Forgan’ until, when Hugh Philp died, the motif simply became ‘Forgan’.
Forgan and his brother James pioneered hickory for shafts and used a special hammer to stamp their name to avoid counterfeits even then. In 1863, Robert Forgan was appointed club maker to the Prince of Wales and was allowed to use Feathers as a trademark on all his clubs. By the turn of the 20th century, Forgan was the largest equipment maker in St. Andrews and a century later is now owned by sports e-tailers, Sports PLC, which also owns Palm Springs Golf, Stowamatic and Prosimmon Golf.
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