The Hackbarth Brothers

The Hackbarth brothers—Herman Carl, Otto Gustav, John Carl, and Alfred Frederick— played a significant role in the early days of American golf. They were involved in various aspects of the sport, including caddying, tournament play, teaching, club management, and course design. The brothers were noted for their physical stature and golfing skills, with Otto being described as “herculean” and known for his powerful shots. Born in the 1880s to German immigrant parents in Wisconsin, they faced challenges after their father’s death in 1893 but committed to pursuing careers in golf, traveling to tournaments and taking on various golf-related roles.

Included is the story of the famous forked hosel putter designed by Otto which was first marketed in 1910.  The original patent was from 1901 issued to Isaac Palmer who apparently licensed the patent to Otto. The putter is of the “center shafted” variety which, after much consternation when Walter Travis won the 1904 British Amateur championship with a center shafted Schenectady putter, the R&A finally acted in 1910 to ban all such putters which now included the Hackbarth.  While neither putter was specifically banned in the US, the rift resulted in an early demise of the Hackbarth putter after 1912. (7pages -PDF)

 

december-2019 Hackbarth 1_merge