Artifact from the Golffice Museum: Bobby Jones’ own Mashie Niblick

One of the most iconic figures in the history of golf, Bobby Jones is celebrated not only for his incredible achievements on the course but also for the enduring legacy he left behind, both as a player and as a contributor to the sport’s development. A fascinating and personal artifact of that legacy is Bobby Jones’ very own Mashie Niblick, a club that has come to symbolize his unparalleled skill and unique approach to the game.

The Mashie Niblick: A Golf Club with History

The Mashie Niblick, a club that once held a place of importance in early 20th-century golf, is a mid-iron with a loft typically around 40-48 degrees. It was commonly used for approach shots and chipping, particularly from tricky lies in the fairway or from rough. The club falls between the mashie (equivalent to today’s 5-iron) and the niblick (similar to a 9-iron or wedge), and was often a favorite among golfers during Jones’ era.

Jones, a meticulous player, was known for his precision and control. However the mastery of the Mashie Niblick seemed to haunt Mr. Jones in his early championship years. In his autobiography, “Down the Fairway,” Jones described his troubles with the Mashie Niblick in 1926:

“The Mashie Niblick and its slightly stronger brother, the Spade, constitute for me the most puzzling problem in golf shots. There seems to be something different in my attitude toward the Mashie Niblick and certainly there is something different in my swing with it. It’s a disgraceful thing to admit, but I never seem able to trust this particular club to do to the ball just what it is designed to do…”

Unlike modern equipment with standardized features, the clubs of Jones’ era were often finely tuned to the individual golfer’s preferences, for instance Bobby Jones once went through the stock of 5000 hickory shafts to find shafts for 4 of his clubs. His Mashie Niblick would have been customized to suit his playing style, with the weight, grip, and shaft length adjusted to fit his precise requirements. Oddly enough the club makers of this era looked at total weight vs swing weight, so you find his swing weights were all across the board.

Fortunately for Bobby Jones, he seemed to find his love for the Mashie Niblick post-1926. The famed Grantland Rice went so far to say after the 1930 US Open, “The Mashie Niblick and the Putter have won most of Bobby Jones’ golf titles for him.” In the case of the 1930 US Open at Interlachen CC, Grant went on to say, “The Mashie Niblick won the tournament for him.”

Sportswriter Norman Gillespie wrote about the dramatic turnaround in 1930:

“When Bobby Jones first started to play golf, his mashie niblick was one of the most useless clubs in his bag. In disgust he would refuse to even try to use it. Then he realized that to equal or better par the mashie niblick approach dead to the pin was the most valuable shot in his bag. So he went to work. He practiced with the club for hours. He even practiced with a mashie niblick or niblick in his room at home. He would place pillows on the far side of the bed, and pitch golf balls from the, floor until he had them dropping where he wanted them to drop.”

What do we know about Bobby Jones’ personal Mashie Niblick?

We know that the club was made in St Andrews, Scotland by greatest iron-maker of the era, Tom Stewart. We know that the first time Bobby Jones met Tom Stewart was on his 1926 trip to play the Open Championship and the British Amateur, and we know that Tom Stewart made Bob a set of clubs on that trip. We also know that in 1929 Bobby Jones lost his clubs in the back of a cab and he ordered a duplicate replacement set from Tom Stewart.

I believe the Mashie Niblick which resides in the Golffice Museum is from that 1929 order. It could be earlier, but I feel it’s the most reasonable guess.

We also know that the signature “Robt T Jones, Jr” was stamped on only the personal clubs that Tom Stewart made for Bobby Jones. Ralph Livingston III wrote the preeminent book on Tom Stewart of St Andrews & dedicated an entire page to Bobby Jones’ personal clubs.

The last time a Tom Stewart iron with the signature of “Robt T Jones Jr” stamped on it came up for auction was in 2011. The club was auctioned off by Heritage Auctions and was a gift from Bobby Jones to his friend and journalist, OB Keeler. That particular club sold 13 years ago for ~ $67,000.

Though Bobby Jones retired from competitive golf at just 28 years old—at the peak of his career—his influence on the game remains profound. He didn’t just change the way golf was played; he helped elevate it to an art form. His personal Mashie Niblick serves as a symbol of his artistry and methodical approach to the game. It is an artifact that tells part of the amazing story of the game of golf.

The Legend of Bobby Jones

Born in Georgia, a boy with a dream,

A golf prodigy, as bright as could be.

With every swing, he’d carve his own way,

A legend was born, that fateful day.

From Augusta’s hills to the Open’s green,

He was a champion, a force unseen.

A master of the game, with honor in his soul,

Bobby Jones, you made golf whole.

Bobby Jones, the story’s told,

A hero’s heart, a spirit bold.

With every putt and every drive,

He made the game come alive.

From the U.S. Open to the British shore,

You’re a legend forevermore.

He took the Grand Slam, with skill and grace,

The world stood still as he set the pace.

But when the glory was at its height,

He stepped away, into the night.

He gave us Augusta, a place so divine,

Where every golfer dreams to shine.

He taught us all that winning’s not just gold,

It’s honor, it’s class, it’s doing what’s bold.

Bobby Jones, the story’s told,

A hero’s heart, a spirit bold.

With every putt and every drive,

He made the game come alive.

From the U.S. Open to the British shore,

You’re a legend forevermore.

And when the storm clouds roll in,

Your legacy will still begin.

For in every swing and every cheer,

Your spirit’s there, year after year.

Bobby Jones, the story’s told,

A hero’s heart, a spirit bold.

With every putt and every drive,

He made the game come alive.

From the U.S. Open to the British shore,

You’re a legend forevermore.

Oh, Bobby Jones, you’ll always be,

The heart and soul of golf history.

The Greatest Golf Photo of All-Time - Bobby Jones

I think the general consensus on the greatest golf photograph of all-time is Hogan’s 1 Iron at Merion, but in my humble opinion, the greatest golf photo of all-time is a photo of Bobby Jones from the 1927 Open Championship.

The photo tells the story of a Bobby Jones’ triumphant return to St Andrews. Just 6 years prior in 1921, Jones famously tore up his scorecard in frustration and walked off the course with his head held low. The famous quote that followed, “Master Bobby is just a boy, and an ordinary one at that.”

In 1927, Jones returned to St Andrews, as the defending Open Champion, and led the Open wire to wire. In celebration of his victory, the crowd of locals carried the foreigner off the Home Green as they might a local hero. From this point on, Bobby Jones was one of them.

If you look closely at the photo, you can see Bobby Jones being carried by the crowd & Bob holding his trusted putter, Calamity Jane up high.

Thank you Bob!

Master Bobby is just a boy, an ordinary boy at that’

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Until next time…

Yours in Golf History,

Connor T. Lewis