Brief MacGregor Go-Sum History
The MacGregor Go-Sum line was manufactured from 1915 to the mid-late 1920s. MacGregor was one of the leaders in the early mass production of golf clubs. Starting with shafts and woods, MacGregor eventually ventured into producing irons as well. Their Go-Sum line would have been sold as a matched set in a department store, which became very popular as interest in the game increased.
One thing to remember when collecting antique and vintage golf clubs is that a club line could run for a decade before being discontinued. It is completely different from today, which can make it difficult to narrow down an age to a specific time frame.
The Backstory
A couple of weeks ago I was looking into the history of our local country club, The Amarillo Country Club, and I stumbled upon very valuable information. The director of membership is a former student of mine. After a quick check of the gradebook, you know to make sure we would be starting on good terms, I reached out to her expressing interest in the history of Amarillo CC.
I was blown away by her response. Not only did she set me up with a detailed history of the course, she arranged a lunch meeting with one of the older members, and an afternoon round with two other members!
I couldn’t believe my luck! Being serious about the history aspect of this endeavor, I informed her that I would be playing hickories. I would feel awkward, of course, if I dared show up with modern clubs after our initial conversation! So I headed out to the garage and made sure my trusty MacGregor Go-Sums were ready for the challenge.
MacGregor Go-Sum – What’s in the Bag
A playing set of hickories consists of a brassie (think of this as a high-lofted driver), mid-iron, mashie, mashie-niblick, niblick, and a putter. I carry each of these, and I also include a driving iron and a mashie-niblick that is bent to a stronger loft. The stronger mashie-niblick helps fill the yardage gap between the mashie and the typical mashie-niblick. For reference, my typical mashie-niblick is 46º and the stronger one is bent to 41º.
I rarely hit my brassie off the tee, because I have better control with my driving iron. It also provides a great run out, which is key to hickory golf.
Walking with Legends
There is an indescribable feeling you get when you are standing on the tee with a hickory club in hand. It is in that exact moment that you realize the amount of history you are carrying with you. You are not only learning about history, you are actively engaging with it. You are stepping back to the time of Francis Ouimet, Bobby Jones, Walter Hagen, and other legends of the game. I feel that I walk with a different respect because I realize that if it hadn’t been for the popularity of these gentlemen, I may not be playing the great game of golf today.
Go-Sums are a solid set of hickories and I will continue to keep them in the bag, but I will always remember that afternoon in June when I was able to play them at a special place, with special people.
Love my Go Sum irons. I carry 1-9X and enjoy playing them more than moderns. Have a Wright Ditson brassie, a no name bulldog and a Spalding Deadline putter to round out the bag. If you’re ever in Central PA, bring your sticks and join me for a round.
That’s a great setup! Playing hickories has been the most fun I have ever had playing golf. I may need to make up a way to get to PA, and take you up on your offer!
Hey there! I inherited about 20 wooden golf clubs fm my dad, have no idea where to sell to enthusiasts…any help would be appreciated
Shoot an email with pictures of the faces and the backs of the clubs (soles and crowns of any woods) to info@drivingrangeheroes.com. We’ll see if we can help you out!
I have a Mashie Niblick “Burma” with the original leather wrapped handle, steel shaft and polka dot club face. It felt sinful to hit balls with it but it was fun and it hit quite well. I believe it was made to commemorate one of the first golf courses in China and could be one of the first steel shaft clubs made… Does anyone know?