Nicoll Golf Clubs Tips

Take a peek into any average golf bag, and you'll be certain to spot certain brand names.  Wilson, Titleist, and Ping are just a few of the names you're sure to see.  One brand of golf club that may not see in the average bag is Nicoll.  But of course, a Nicoll is no average golf club. Nicoll golf clubs are true classics in the world of golf.  The company originated in the ancient Fife town of Leven in Scotland, home of the famous Lundin Links course. The Nicoll golf company was founded in 1881 by a young blacksmith by the name of George Nicoll.  Ten short years later, Mr. Nicoll had established himself as a leader in manufacturing iron-headed golf clubs. The Nicoll signature was the "cleek" mark of a hand, a stamp that was used exclusively throughout the company's history.  This mark was used on Nicoll club even before the turn of the century, but it wasn't until nearly twenty-five years later that George Nicoll's son attempted to trademark the symbol.  This hand mark changed about a dozen times throughout the hundred-year duration of the Nicoll company.  Collectors are now able to tell the age of a Nicoll golf club simply by studying the hand symbol emblazoned on the club. One of the most famous Nicoll clubs was a patent club unveiled at the turn of the century. First manufactured in 1892, this leather-faced cleek had a very short bladed head and a hollowed face section covered by tough leather.  These features were huge innovations for the time.  Soon afterward, Nicoll also introduced a club with a "gutta percha" face. After George Nicoll's son Robert took over the company, these handcrafted clubs went to the wayside.  Robert sought to compete with large MacGregor and Spalding, the American golf equipment-manufacturing giants.  Nicoll quit the handcrafting business and moved the company toward mass production.  The company began to manufacture entire lines of irons including the Viking brand, Clinkers, Compaction Blade models and the Zenith clubs in waverly iron and rust-free steel versions. Of all the Nicoll products in the company's history, the Indicators were the clubs that propelled the company into fame.  Produced in 1926, these clubs featured matching wooden shafts and "indicators" that were able to tell the player the exact range of each club.  The Indicators were the first matching sets of modern irons known in the history of golf. The Nicoll company continued to manufacture excellent quality golf clubs until the company closed its doors forever in 1983, more than 100 years after the young George Nicoll sold his first iron.   If you are ever fortunate enough to spot a Nicoll club in a golf bag, take the time to chat a while with its owner.  You're bound to learn a little more about the history of the club, and the game itself.