The following passage is reprinted by permission of Golf Historian,
David Stirk FRCS, from Golf: The Great Clubmakers
Gibson's antecedents were not associated with golf, but
born in Musselburgh, the very heart of the golf
clubmaking business in East Lothian, he must early in
his life have become aware of the craft of clubmaking.
He served his apprenticeship with Tom Dunn at North
Berwick and took to clubmaking with enthusiasm and a
considerable aptitude.
When he had completed his apprenticeship he was
appointed, in 1888, clubmaker and professional to the
Royal North Devon Golf Club at Westward Ho!
He set up his workshop and with five or six apprentices
started making golf clubs. He took little or no interest
in teaching or playing golf, but he was a great
clubmaker. Over the years many of his apprentices
made their mark, mostly as clubmakers, but some, like
John Henry Taylor, as golfers. (See Webmasters note
1)
He well knew how to make the long-nosed clubs, but
by the time that he got to Westward Ho!, the bulger
clubs were in fashion and the call for long-nosed clubs
had ceased.
Gibson was always willing to experiment and, probably
at the request of elderly customers, made some
long-nosed clubs with convex faces, the so-called
'transitional' clubs. He made 'Dreadnought' drivers and
'fishing-rod' drivers as well, the latter being a particular
specialty of his. He was well known for his putters
(always a sign of a good clubmaker), particularly those
with a square grip and greenheart shaft.
In the 1911 Golf Exhibition, Gibson was the senior
judge, Willie Park Junior and Willie Fernie being his
assistant judges - a significant sign of his standing
amongst his brother clubmakers.
Although in later times he used both a copying lathe
and shaft-turning lathe to increase his output, he
remained, right up to the time of his death, a clubmaker
who basically hand-made clubs. |
Photos:
Home Page: The photo on the
home page of this site is Charles
Gibson supporting three
miniature clubs. Gibson made
the miniatures long-nose clubs
and presented them to Queen
Mary (wife of King George V)
as part of a full set of
miniatures, where they can still
be seen today, as part of the
Queen's doll house at Windsor
Castle. The iron clubs, included
in the set, were made by Ben
Sayers. The clubs are said to be
3 1/4 inches long. Gibson was
nearing the end of his career in
this photo.
Above: The photo above is a
never before published image
taken from a recently
discovered original
daguerreotype. The image is
believed to be taken in North
Berwick probably sometime
around 1885. (Seated left to
right: Willie Dunn Jr. and Tom
Dunn. Standing: Charles
Gibson) Both Willie Dunn Jr.
and Charles Gibson apprenticed
with Willie's older brother Tom.
Willie's first professional
appointment was to Westward
Ho! in 1886, preceding Charles
Gibson as the professional at
this famous club. |
