First Golf Equipment Patent

The first golf equipment patent was awarded to Thomas Johnson in 1876. Rather than wood, Mr. Johnson’s club had a hard rubber substance for the clubhead. These clubs were a far cry from the titanium and steel clubs of today! Wonder how far Tiger Woods could hit a ball from the tee using one of Mr. Johnson’s clubs. Sadly, only a few of the 1876 clubs are known to still exist so we’ll probably never know. We at BIG IP Law will be celebrating golf all month long. Interested in sports patents? Ready to take a swing with your new performance patent idea?

Photo by Cristina Anne Costello on Unsplash