From Calamity Jane to Phrankenwood: 18 most famous golf clubs in history

February 13, 2017

@jacknicklaus
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@jacknicklaus: Happy #Halloween! One of the Golden Bear’s biggest fans submitted this photo of his “Jack”-o-Lantern

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10. NICK PRICE’S ZEBRA PUTTER
Price was hitting it so pure at the 1994 British Open, he was even striping it with his putter. The putter was a Ram Zebra, with a mallet-head and black-and-white alignment marks that inspired its name.

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images
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Twenty years after he won the Masters, Fred Couples tied for 12th.

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Henrik Stenson also wore lederhosen at the event, but Miguel Angel Jimenez opted not to.

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ATLANTA, GA - AUGUST 27: A Spalding Kro-Flite Bobby Jones Calamity Jane putter, foreground, and other Jones memorabilia on display in the Bobby Jones room at East Lake Golf Club on August 27, 2014 in Atlanta, Georgia. East Lake will host the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola, the final event of the FedExCup Playoffs, from Sep. 10 through Sep. 14. (Photo by Keyur Khamar/PGA TOUR)

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Contrary to popular perception, Sarazen didn't invent the sand wedge, whose origins actually date to 19th century Scotland. But the Squire did design the first modern iteration of the club, with a steel shaft, face markings and a sleek flange that helped him win the '32 U.S. and British Opens.

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In 1997, at his son Steve's 34th birthday party, Jack received the most memorable gift of all: a Bulls Eye putter, its face speckled with white paint. A broken pencil was jammed into the butt end of its grip. Nicklaus recognized it right away as the club he'd nicknamed White Fang, the putter he'd used on his way to winning the '67 U.S. Open at Baltusrol. After the championship, Nicklaus had stored White Fang in a bin in his Florida home; Steve, unaware of the club's significance, had picked it up and loaned it to a friend, who took his time returning it. White Fang now resides where it belongs: at the Jack Nicklaus Museum at Ohio State University.

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"Oh, Billy, Billy, Billy. This is a biggie."For hardcore Caddyshack fans, Judge Smails' antique putter enjoys near mythic status, a prop as central to the film as a Baby Ruth bar in a swimming pool.

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He's the one with all the clothes" Bailey says. "But I like his looks - very sophisticatedvery suave.""

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11 Apr 1996: Davis Love III of the USA watches for the result of his drive following his tee shot from the second hole during the opening round of the Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Munday/Allsport

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Don't ask Woosie to name the make and model. Come to think of it, better not to mention the club at all. The Welshman has acknowledged being haunted by the memory of that "extra" club, the one his caddie, Myles Byrne, failed to count prior to the final round of the 2001 British Open at Royal Lytham. Woosnam had just claimed a share of the tournament lead when Byrne alerted his boss to the error, a blunder that put Woosie in violation of golf's 14-club rule. The infraction triggered a two-stroke penalty and a brief, heated reaction from the fiery Woosnam, who flung the offending driver into the gorse beside the second tee.

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If they ever carve a Mt. Rushmore of Golf, Todd Hamilton's face will likely not be on it. But he will always be remembered for his rock-solid performance at the 2004 British Open, where we got around the firm terrain of Royal Troon with help from a 17-degree loft Sonartec hybrid, a club he said he used at least six times per round. That wasn't just for full shots, either. When all was said and done, Hamilton had gotten up-and-down with his hybrid on 13 of 14 tries, highlighted by a 36-yard bump-and-run that sealed his playoff win over Ernie Els.

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A wall full of Scotty Cameron putter headcovers.

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AKRON, OH - AUGUST 09: Bubba Watson watches his driver on the fourth hole during the final round of the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club on August 9, 2015 in Akron, Ohio. (Photo by Stan Badz/PGA TOUR)

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In early 2013, mad scientist-style tinkering in the Mickelson camp gave life to a beefed up Callaway club that was something like a three-wood crossed with a driver. At that year's Masters, Lefty unleashed the monster with notable success; he was third in total driving for the week. But it turned out he couldn't quite control the odd creation. By the time the U.S. Open rolled around, Mickelson had abandoned Phrankenwood for a Callaway X Hot 3Deep wood, which was still in his bag when he won the British Open later that year.