A RARE golf club made in Manchester more than a century ago has sold for £3,712 at a New York auction.

The club, designed by Robert Ramsbottom in 1894, was snapped up by a mystery bidder at the Sotheby's auction for almost double its expected price.

Made with a hickory wood shaft, the club had a claw-type attachment - or hosel - between the shaft and the club head. According to Sotheby's: "Ramsbottom patented a method to secure the shaft so it fit in a claw-style hosel.

"He hoped his design would reduce the number of shafts breaking at the neck. Apparently it had little effect as fewer than ten claw hosel irons are now known." Ramsbottom invented it just after the Didsbury and Withington golf clubs were formed, in 1891 and 1892, and prior to Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1897.

Spectacular

It was one of a spectacular collection of 600 antique clubs that belonged to American enthusiast Jeffery B Ellis. The auction raised £1,072,063 and two other Manchester clubs went under the hammer.

A centre-shafted blockhead Pope's putter, made around 1908 by Chorlton-cum-Hardy golf club professional WR Pope, sold for £866.

But a driver invented by Gilbert Lewis of Manchester, with a revolving grip, failed to sell.

Ramsbottom made enough money to live comfortably at The Cliff in Higher Broughton.

He described himself as `a fishing tackle manufacturer and sportsman's outfitter' and had sports shops at 81 Market Street, at Rochdale Road, Manchester and Chapel Street, Salford. Tweet