A Scottish Golf Club Manufacturer Used to Dominate the World Like No Other
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
GOLF ILLUSTRATED John Letters A Scottish golf club manufacturer used to dominate the world like no other. And now it’s back. J O HN LETTERS Words Duncan Lennard Photography Howard Boylan Words John Huggan and he never employed an accountant, Bob Charles, for example, won the 1963 Photography Mark Alexander preferring to keep all the books himself. As Open and a host of tournaments wielding well as a successful businessman, he was also the club to great effect. And Mark ITIaXZMIKPMZIVLIÅZ[\KTI[[_ZM[\TMZ McNulty (formerly of Zimbabwe, now an ohn Letters. Time was, of course, Just as the genius engineer Karsten Irishman) has long been one of the greatest when those two simple words Solheim would become maybe a quarter of a on the greens using a Golden Goose. formed the ultimate euphemism century later with his iconic Ping “Anser” Still, it was with the launch of the for quality in the golf equipment putter, the John Letters company was both a “Master Model” irons in 1947 that Letters Jindustry. Formed in 1918 immediately after trailblazer and an innovator, always trying ÅZUTaM[\IJTQ[PMLQ\[MTNI[\PM6WJZIVL the conclusion of hostilities in the First for something new, different and better. in British club making. In that same year, World War by the man of the same name, Even before the Second World War, Letters .ZML,ITaJMKIUM\PMÅZ[\1ZQ[PUIV\W the Glasgow-based Letters company was, for were using steel shafts in their clubs rather win the Open Championship and he did it much of the remainder of the 20th century, a than the traditional and soon to be outdated, using Master Models. One year later, eight much-admired byword for craftsmanship in hickory. But it was in the immediate post- of the 10 men representing Great Britain the club-making business. war years that the company really came into in the Ryder Cup matches versus the The man himself started life as a its own as a market leader. United States had Master Model irons in blacksmith, before getting a job with a golf In 1946, Letters introduced the Golden their bags. ball manufacturer Miller & Taylor. He Goose putter, the design that – pre-Ping – <PI\TM^MTWNLWUQVIVKM_I[VWÆI[P became a very keen golfer and his was to become one of the most familiar in-the-pan either. Nor was it short-lived. motivation for starting up his own company sights in the bags of so many of the world’s Almost two decades later, a promising was to make affordable golf balls and clubs. best players. Not only that, they worked; young Scottish amateur by the name of During his business life, he was the hub, [WUMWN\PMOIUM¼[ÅVM[\X]\\MZ[PILI Bernard Gallacher was turning pro and in around which the whole company revolved; Golden Goose in their bags. New Zealander no doubt as to what clubs he should be Left: Super Mex was just one of the star names to play John Letters clubs. Others included Gary Player, Fred Daly, Dai Rees, Bernhard Gallacher and Sam Torrance. )JW^M"0ITNWN\PM!!:aLMZ+]X\MIUXTIaML\PMKT]J[NZWUTMN\#3MV*W][ÅMTL8M\MZ5QTT[,IQ:MM[XTIaQVOKIX\IQV2WPV4M\\MZ[6WZUIV,ZM_IVL+PZQ[\a7¼+WVVWZ 132 37 J O HN LETTERS using in his new career. “I played with John quite right for me we’d keep changing it until even after two members of the clan – Jimmy Letters clubs as an amateur,” says the three- 1_I[PIXXa1VZM[XMK\WNXZWXMZKT]JÅ\\QVO and Hope – regained control, until their time Ryder Cup captain. “And when I the company was decades ahead of its time.” retirement in the early 1990s. turned pro there was never any doubt as to Later, other notable players would take In 2005 the company was purchased by what brand I wanted to use. I knew John \PM[IUMZW]\M\WOWTÅVO[]KKM[[)P]OM former club professional John Andrew, who Letters made the best irons. The Master number of celebrities, including Frank founded the Direct Golf mail order company Model clubs were, in fact, similar to the Sinatra, Sean Connery, Jack Lemmon, Judy in 1991. Happily, Andrew’s history and Macgregor irons most of the leading Garland, Danny Kaye and Eartha Kitt, experience as a PGA member helped incline Americans seemed to be using at that time; insisted on playing John Letters clubs. Even him towards the quality end of the club- but the Letters clubs were better. Plus, my Paul Lawrie, Open champion in 1999, making business. “Though I came to the OWTÅVOPMZW_I[/IZa8TIaMZIVLPMPILPQ[ played the clubs between 1988 to 1992. company primarily as a retailer, it was my name on Letters clubs. I wanted to be like ¹<PMaPILI\MZZQÅKNIKQTQ\aQV/TI[OW_º passion for club manufacture that made me him. What really convinced me was the says the two-time Ryder Cupper. “I was look at what we could achieve together,” says Letters family though. They were real down there a lot and I still have the irons Andrew, a Yorkshireman. “It is such an experts when it came to making clubs and \PMaUILMNWZUM<PMa_MZM\PMÅZ[\1M^MZ iconic name in the industry, one I felt could had the respect of everyone in the industry.” had with my own name on them.” still be a force to be reckoned with, if The Letters company were ahead of their Still, in any business, even the handled properly. time in so many ways, not least in the area production of top quality merchandise is no “At the time I bought the company, it had WNÅ\\QVOKT]J[\WIVQVLQ^QL]IT¼[VMML[ guarantee of continued success. And so it an amazing level of stock. We had thousands “I would go to the factory at Hillingdon was for John Letters, especially when the of heads and shafts, but not many assembled in Glasgow,” Gallacher says, “and speak family relinquished overall control. clubs. But that was an opportunity for me directly with the club-makers themselves on Purchased by the Dunlop company, which with my background. Plus, it was a no- \PM[PWXÆWWZ5aKT]J[_MZMJ]QT\NZWU then moved its club-making facilities south JZIQVMZNZWUIÅVIVKQITXWQV\WN^QM_?M scratch. I’d try out every kind of shaft and to England, Letters struggled to maintain its had over a million pounds worth of clubs just grip along the road on the range at the previous position in a market increasingly sitting there waiting to be put together and Haggs Castle club. And if anything wasn’t dominated by the mass production of clubs, sold. Within six months, my initial Left: The ultimate showman, South African Gary Player, was a marvellous ambassador for John Letters, for many years. Above (left): The man himself, about to board I*7)+ÆQOP\WVPQ[_Ia\W[XZMIL\PM_WZLQV)UMZQKI)JW^MZQOP\"<PM[QVOMZIVLIK\ZM[[-IZ\PI3Q\\_I[WVMWNUIVaKMTMJZQ\QM[_PWQV[Q[\MLWVXTIaQVO\PMKT]J[ 39 GOLF ILLUSTRATED J O HN LETTERS ‘It’s amazing how much affection people have for the name. Everyone started playing with a John Letters set’ investment (which was under £500,000) had been covered.” After clearing out his low-cost inventory, Andrew’s strategy thereafter was to make proper use of the still iconic Letters name. He had no interest in being just another downmarket club-maker churning out undistinguished products that looked pretty much like the next guy’s. In 2010, Sam Torrance re-signed with 2WPV4M\\MZ[!aMIZ[IN\MZPMPILÅZ[\X]\ pen-to-paper for the company. “That was key for us,” says Andrew. “When Sam signed with us, he told me he was tired of using the clubs he had before; he wanted us to make him clubs he could really use. Which is what I wanted, too.” With input from Torrance, the Master Model iron range – and the Golden Goose – was reborn in 2011. The world has changed since the 1960s and ’70s when the original models were endorsed by the likes of Gary Player and Lee Trevino, and were the most-played clubs in the game. But Andrew is a patient man, one more than willing to invest in what he sees as a long-term project. “It’s amazing how much of an asset the John Letters name is,” he says. “Whenever I or one of my employees are seen wearing a company waterproof jacket or shirt, an incredible number of people come up to ask what we are up to. There is a huge affection for the name because so many people started playing with a set of John Letters clubs.” Still, building a brand – even one with Left: Johnnie Fallon was a Scottish professional who played and captained the Ryder Cup team. The Master Model irons were the most famous John Letters ever made, and launched in 1947 (the same year Fred Daly won the Open with them) they were relaunched in 2011. Above: The shop in North Street is 254 yards from the Old Course’s 18th green. 20 41 GOLF ILLUSTRATED such a fan base – is no easy matter in these highly competitive times. Andrews is aiming his products at the serious golfer. )VL\WLW\PI\PMÅZ[\PI[\WOM\\PM professionals appreciating his clubs. “We are the only British manufacturer on tour these days,” he points out. “At the Open this year, our van was the only one from this country. The rest were from the US or Japan. Our aim is not to rush in and take on these massive companies at their own game. That would be silly. I’m in no rush. This company has been around for 95 years, so we can afford to be patient.” One indication of Andrew’s willingness to make the most of the past – even as he rebuilds a brand that is already being distributed to 15 European countries – is the John Letters shop in St Andrews.