Wulff “1848 Series”
Long-Nose Putter
The Wulff long-nose clubs in the 1848 series commemorate the transitional period of golf from the featherie ball to the gutta percha ball. The introduction of the “guttie” in 1848 marked the end of nearly 400 years of dominance by the featherie ball and revolutionized the game by making it much more affordable to play. The clubs in this series pay homage to that pivotal moment in golf history and are made with materials and a design suited for play with most any ball (featherie, synthetic gutta percha, and modern low-compression).
The 1848 putter is an original Wulff design based on the characteristics of long-nose putters made in the mid-19th century toward the end of the featherie era. The example pictured here is made from spalted maple and I also make the 1848 in standard hard maple and European beech. These putters are primarily available as the companion club to the short spoon in my popular $400 two-club Wulff 1848 Long-Nose Starter Sets, but they’re also sold individually for $225.
Traditionally, the material on the leading edge of the sole would have been made of ram’s horn, but in the spirit of “embracing a history that never was,” I use a variety of domestic hardwoods that would have been available to the hypothetical club maker working on Long Island, NY, in the mid-1800s. These include hard maple, persimmon, Osage orange, dogwood, and Texas ebony (which you see on the example shown here). The weight on the back of the head is poured and hammered lead.
The natural finish on this spalted maple example is simply linseed oil and shellac with no added color. As you can see from the photos, the visual characteristics of spalted maple can be striking so any finish I add to this particular wood is intended to enhance the natural features and preserve the wood. On the hard maple and European beech models, I also offer an antique finish that involves alternating layers of oil-stain and asphaltum as well as a charred finish inspired by the Japanese technique known as shou sugi ban.
The shaft on the 1848 putter is a vintage hickory shaft. The grip is a thick strip of brown leather, suede-side-out, on top of a strip of felt under listing that’s secured to the end of the shaft in the traditional way with a bent nail.
The Wulff 1848 putter can be played with any ball from featherie to synthetic gutta percha to modern low-compression.
General spec range:
6-9 degrees loft
high Ds to high Es swing weight
34-35 inches long
Sold individually for $225 or as the companion to the 1848 short spoon in the $400 two-club Wulff Long-Nose Starter Set
If you’d like to be notified when Wulff 1848 putters are available, please contact me below to be added to the mailing list for this club.
