PBA Galleries

Iron sand wedge, hickory shaft with original leather grip. Club head with large flange protruding from the back, concave face. Stamped on back Sand Wedge and on bottom with the Walter Hagen signature and triangle logo.

An important iron with a huge and heavy head, and a large flange protruding from the back, plus a scooped, concave face. The style of it led to its banishment by 1930, only 2 years after its introduction to the market. "The club which gained all the attention and has continued to be a collectors' favorite is the sand iron made by the L.A. Young Company for their Walter Hagen line of clubs...Introduced to the market in 1928, its single most important proponent was Walter himself, whose personal choices in everything from clubs to automobiles and shirts was noticed by golf fans and consumers. This was the first club to be called a wedge. In filing its patent form in 1928, the inventory, Edwin K. MacClain titled it a sand wedge, comparing it in his description to other 'niblicks' which had no deflection, or bound, abilities. He described the flange as a 'wing' or 'deflector'. Gene Sarazen had a large amount of input into the club's development. Other leading professionals like Hagen, Horton Smith, Ralph Guldahl and Byron Nelson were perfecting the explosion shot and required a new type of club to optimize their bunker skills. Even Bobby Jones, another shot maker, had a Hagen wedge in his bag at various times during his Grand Slam Year." -Georgiady, Collecting Antique Golf Clubs, 820. Expected shipping cost will be a minimum of $20 for domestic, and $75 for international.