Wulff “1860 Series”
Middle Spoon

The Wulff long-nose clubs in the 1860 series commemorate the clubs designed during the “gutty” era, which lasted from the late 1840s to the early 1900s. After the introduction of the gutta percha ball in 1848, club makers needed to improve the durability of long-nose clubs to hold up to the harder “guttie.” Eventually, the delicate and graceful designs of the fruit wood long-nose clubs of the featherie era took a backseat to characteristics that prioritized durability such as denser wood, thicker necks, and leather faces. The long-nose clubs in this series pay homage to the workhorses of the gutty era and are made with materials and a design suitable for play with the synthetic gutta percha ball as well as modern low-compression balls.

The Wulff 1860 middle spoon is loosely based on an actual 1860s era middle spoon made by Willie Park Sr. The example pictured here is made from hard maple and I also make this club in European beech and dogwood. These clubs are sold individually for $225. I also make a premium model of this club from spalted maple with a leather face for $275.

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’ve opted to use the very dense hardwood called lignum vitae, which would have been available to a hypothetical club maker living and working on Long Island, NY, in the mid-1800s. Lignum vitae is one of the hardest woods in the world and it holds up well to the synthetic gutta percha ball. It’s secured to the sole with traditional hide glue and hickory pegs. The weight on the back of the head is poured and hammered lead.

The antique finish you see on this example was achieved with alternating coats of oil-based stain and asphaltum, followed by linseed oil and shellac. Depending on timber, I also offer this club with a natural finish as well as a charred finish inspired by the Japanese technique known as shou sugi ban.

The shaft on the 1860 middle spoon is generally a vintage hickory shaft, though I also make premium models that include a hand-carved 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 1860 middle spoon is designed to be played with both synthetic gutta percha and modern low-compression balls.

General spec range: