Gutta-Percha Ball

photo credit: Andy on Flickr   The advent of the gutta-percha ball led to several changes.  Harder than a featherie, which came before the gutta-percha, it could damage the skinny wooden-headed clubs.  Many golfers found their clubs breaking where the neck joined the head.  Clubmakers designed smaller, deeper heads to better absorb the blow against the harder “guttie.”  The clubhead began to assume its squat appearance. 

Later a club called the “bulger” (the face bulged forward), was used.  A “brassie” found its way into the game, so called because of a piece of brass put on the sole of the club to prevent damage when it hit the hard ground such as roads or footpaths which were found on courses.  The brassie was close in loft to the driver and eventually became the 2 wood.