Thu 24 Jul 2008
Don White – The Greatest Club Designer You Have Never Heard Of
Posted by Duff under Equipment, Random Thoughts
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Have you ever heard of a club designer named Don White? Up until about 5 years ago I hadn’t and I thought I know every nonsensical tidbit about the golf industry. All I knew about Don was that he worked at MacGregor Golf as a pretty well respected designer, doing custom grinds on both wedges and irons. Then just a couple of days ago, due to all the press that Greg Norman received for his play at the British Open, I find out that he has been with MacGregor since 1971, and has been their chief club designer since 1980, and I hadn’t heard of him? You’re telling me that Don White designed all the great Muirfield and VIP irons of the 1980s when he was only in his late 20s to early 30s? Are you kidding me? A guy that was originally not an engineer and had no previous knowledge of golf or club design was customizing and building irons for Jack Nicklaus? This Don White character should be in some hall of fame or something. Oh wait! HE IS!
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Interview with MacGregor’s head club designer Don White.
Great insight into club making, custom grinds and the various tour pros he has built clubs for.
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Then just a couple of days ago I finally got to see a close up picture of what looked like ‘retro’ irons Don built specifically for Norman to play in the British Open. I swear I’d seen these before. After some digging I had a lookie-what-we-have-here moment:
Eerie similarity aren’t they? Rumor has it these irons (2009 VIP Pro Diamondbacks) might be introduced this coming fall/winter.
Don White, my friend, I commend you for your continued preservation of the classic forged blade and the name MacGregor, ‘The greatest name in golf!’
A funny little side note: Just yesterday I purposely attached the picture below to my refrigerator to send a little hint to the wife that I might have my eye on some new irons and within minutes she comes barreling around the corner doing her best Soup Nazi impersonation – “NO CLUBS FOR YOU!”