A splendid aluminium head putter by Seymour Dunn in original
condition except for new whipping that has been fitted to the grip.
As well as a club maker he was renowned for designing many
prestigious golf courses around Europe during the early 1900’s
before emigrating to America where he became the professional at
Lake Placid, New York in 1909, continued course designing, became a
golf guru and wrote a number of books on how to play the game.
The crown of the head is clearly stamped Seymour Dunn Registered
Model Maker and also shows his ‘Crown & Banner’ cleekmark with
the words Vi Et Arte stamped beneath meaning ‘life and art’.
The head and hosel show a few scar marks which is normal for this
type of soft metal (see images) but there are no cracks/splits to
the hosel which are often apparent when sourcing this type of club.
The face is stamped with a multi dot pattern. The sole of the head
is stamped with the initials I.H.G. and also shows 95C and the word
Putter.
The straight shaft is securely connected to the hosel and retains
the original brown leather grip.
The club measures 35.50” (90cm)
Seymour Dunn
Seymour Dunn was the grandson of the renowned Fife golfer Willie
Dunn snr. His father Thomas Dunn married Isabella Gourlay whose
family were also connected to the golf trade and the story is told
that Seymour was born in his father’s workshop next to the first
tee on the West Links at North Berwick in 1882.
He spent most of his adult life outside the United Kingdom. When he
was 15 years old he visited the USA and designed a 9 hole course at
Lawrenceville School in New Jersey. In 1899 he was appointed the
professional at the Societe Golf de Paris and continued his course
designing across Europe for the next few years including the first
course at the Royal Ostend Golf Club, Belgium (1903), the Royal
Golf Club de Belgique (1906), a course at the Rothschild Estate in
France (1908) a course at the Royal Zoute Golf Club, Belgium in
1909.
Whilst designing the above courses he also managed to be the
professional at Royal County Down, Northern Ireland in 1904 and in
1906 he spent time at Lake Placid, New York where in 1909 he was to
become the professional-club maker for the remainder of his career.
His cleekmark is a Crown and Banner bearing the legend ‘Vi et Arte
(Life and Art). He distributed golf equipment all over the United
States.
He was not only a course designer and club maker but also dedicated
a lot of his time to teaching the game and wrote a number of books
on the subject especially about the ‘swing plane’. A number of top
professionals were instructed by him including Walter Hagen and
Gene Sarazen and it is said that Ben Hogan adopted a number of
Dunn’s methods when writing his books.
He died in 1968.