Historic golf clubs found under factory

A set of historic golf clubs made by the world’s oldest golf manufacturer has been found during the building of a Scottish restaurant.

The clubs could be more than 150 years old.

Forgan’s, in St Andrews, is a new restaurant located at the site of a factory of the same name that was used in the 19^th century to make 1-irons, or ‘cleeks’ as they were then known.

Bill Wright, a construction worker who is part of the team working at the venue, was drilling through the floor when his power tool suddenly jammed.

He started using his hands to dig three feet into the ground when he found four original Forgan golf club heads buried underneath.

He said: “I was just drilling through the floor beside the new bothy seating area when the drill jammed. I thought it was just a piece of harder stone or metal at first but when I started digging with my hands I could see that it was golf clubs.

“I was so surprised to see them, especially so far down under the flooring. They are a bit rusty and dirty but apart from that they are in good condition.

“It’s so amazing to find something so old and to think they could be very rare.

“I heard that the building was once used for making golf clubs but I didn’t think there would still be some hidden here. We’re all now keeping our eyes peeled for any other interesting finds!”

Michelle Nabal, general manager of Forgan’s, added: “It’s really exciting to find these golf clubs. It gives a real sense of how old the place is and although we are not going to have a golf-themed venue, it reminds us of how important the sport is to St Andrews.

“The original factory dates back to the 1860s so who knows, the clubs could be well more than 100 years old. It’s just amazing to find a bit of the factory’s history while we are renovating.”

The golf clubs are now being evaluated by a golf historian who will determine how old they are. The restaurant says they will be exhibited at the new venue.