Dave Foulis - Greenkeeper Extraordinaire  

One day after having beaten a few dozen guttas to near death the Foulis boys noticed that as the gutta percha balls took on the nicks and bumps from the repeated poundings there shots had more air time and traveled further when well struck. 

As these balls were molded it was a fairly simple process to add a few bumps to a mold and the Foulis's decided to do so, choosing a pattern of stars for which they immediately file patent application. 

Less than 2 months later on March 21, 1899, they were issued their patent, number 30378 and the American Eagle golf ball was born. Information about the American Eagle Golf Ball beyond its invention and patent is hard to come by.

What is known is that David and James patented their golf ball and they identified their design as "a spherical golf-ball with a series of encircling stars on its outer surface. A is the spherical golf-ball, and B the series of encircling pointed stars on its outer surface, the whole presenting to the eye a harmonious and ornate figure."

So if you find yourself hawking for lost golf balls in the Chicago area and come across an old ball with a raised star pattern, odds are you have found a Foulis American Eagle

James and David however continued their quest to improve the game and their next invention, though by it's name lasted only about 35 years, the concept is still a huge part of the early 21st century game. 

The Foulis's designed a new golf club and called it a "mashie-niblick". It is generally defined as a club that takes design aspects from a mashie (which is close to today's 5 iron) and a niblick ( which is close to today's 9 iron ). 

This commonly leads many to say then the "mashie-niblick" is like our 7 iron. Well yes it is however, and this is a big however that is not what the creation of the Foulis's club is all about. To grasp the full impact the "mashie-niblick" had on the game of golf you really need to take a closer look. 

The Foulis brothers emigrated from St. Andrews Scotland. James had learned his golf from Old Tom Morris and played many a match on the Old Course. As many know the original approach shot played not only at The Old Course but links courses every where was the "bump and run". 

Thus, golf clubs, quoting from the mashie-niblick patent application, "it is well known were made in such a manner that when the struck ball contacts the ground it continues to roll in the direction in which it has been driven." 

Now after playing on the inland park type courses of greater Chicago James and David found when they were hitting these shots hard enough to reach the green, this type of shot would "often resulted in overrunning the putting green." 

Now after saying "this sucks" a few hundred times to each other they decided that "It is therefore very desirable to provide a golf-club, which we prefer to term a "mashie-niblick," that will have all the advantages of the usual mashie and at the same time will enable the player to "hold' the ball back.....and in some instances to roll backward and travel, all of which will be understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art. (of golf)"

So the next time you hit your 7 iron into a tight pin and the ball does a little dance and stops dead you can thank James and David Foulis for their insight into the game and what it was to become. 

Now with this background let's take a look at Foulis's most famous patent application....."The principal object of my invention to provide a simple economical and efficient golf flag support, of such construction and arrangement that the flag may be blown in any direction in which the wind is blowing without any danger of being wound around the supporting shaft..." interesting but "metal flags" solved the problem remember ? "There are many objections to the metal flag, the principal being (1) that in handling, that is in removing the flag from them hole cup, the player usually lays it on the grass or turf - more often throwing it down  - which results in cutting or injuring of the turf; (2) that it (the turf) is expensive to make in the first instance and to repair afterward; and (3) that the flag itself if liable to be injured and become a distorted unsightly object."  

If you play golf today, on 99.9% of the golf course you see the result of this thought process. A golf flag that that does not wrap itself around the "flagstick", serves as a clear indicator of the hole location on the putting green and provides the golfer with correct knowledge as to which direction the wind is blowing at the location of the hole. On top of all this, even though the flag stick may damage the turf when thrown to the ground, the cloth flag will not.

Now to sticking the flagstick in the hole, "To hold the flag in position and in the hole cup.....This arrangement permits the flag pole to be easily inserted and held in the desired vertical position, and at the same time without in any way tending to injure the cup."

A search of US Patents quickly reveals the significance of this little golf course gem as it is referred to dozens of times with many feeble attempts to "improve upon it". All you have to do to understand in genius and timelessness is walk onto to 99.9% of the golf courses in the world and examine the flag stick with this drawing in mind. Truly one of the great golf inventions of all time.