MacGregor persimmon woods are amongst the most sought-after persimmon woods in the world of golf today. Most would argue that 1949 saw the beginning of the golden age of oil-hardened, old-growth, persimmon woods. Whilst 1949 ushered in the infamous LFF model, as early as 1941, Jumbo models were available with only the most astute collector being able to distinguish between the models from the early 1940s and late 1940s.
My interest in MacGregor persimmon woods is particularly jumbo or deep-faced driver models from 1949 to 1955 and Wood Brothers (Wood Bros) Texas Golf Company (Texas Golf Co) solid persimmon woods of the 1980s and early 1990s. In 1956, MacGregor widened the face of the woods by 1/2″ and ‘King-Sized’ the Eye-O-Matic insert. The V shape on the crown was also updated with a diamond-shaped MacGregor icon in place of the MT Art-Deco stamp. With hindsight, the Super Eye-O-Matic inserts weren’t as super as the previous generations.
Desirable Aspects of MacGregor Persimmon Woods
What to look for? The holy grail of all persimmon woods is a close, U-shaped grain structure without any added weight in the form of lead. Solid blocks are rare even from reputable manufacturers like MacGregor. If the block is solid and a sought-after line and product model, it may well be worth investing in and potentially restoring. Original, unfinished heads are extremely rare… finding one with stampings intact along with ‘recorded’ numbers (usually found on the neck or rear of the hosel) are other prime indicators of a special find.
If you have MacGregor persimmon woods you would like identified, please feel free to reach out. If you want to know more or have MacGregor persimmon woods to sell, please feel free to contact me using the form on our Contact Us page.
Understanding MacGregor Product Lines and Model Numbers
Company > MacGregor
Family > Tourney Woods (Professional)
Product Line > Tommy Armour, Jimmy Demaret, Toney Penna, Byron Nelson, MT Tourney, George Bayer etc.
Model > 693, 653, MT09, LFF, WW, etc.
MacGregor Golf History – Crib Notes
Clarence Rickey can be credited with the rise of MacGregor Golf. In the mid-1930s, as an officer at Medinah Country Club, he hired Tommy Armour as the club’s professional. His assistant was none other than Toney Penna. Toney Penna would sign professionals Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson and Jimmy Demaret as Advisory Staff in 1938. They pioneered the use of oil hardening, face inserts, and bulge and roll on wood faces. They were also the first manufacturer to offer rubber and corded rubber grips instead of leather. By the 1950s, professional golf was dominated by MacGregor and it has a foothold in the amateur game with the likes of Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer using their kit to win Amateur Championships. With hindsight, the golden age of persimmon woods was no doubt the early 1950s MacGregor MT Tourney Eye-O-Matic’s.
1941 MacGregor Persimmon Woods – Tommy Armour Tourneys
The Tourney lineup was manufactured based on the characteristics and specifications of their personal use clubs. The tagline was: ‘The Clubs the Pros Play’. Four woods were offered, sold as a set of 3 or 4: Driver, Brassie, Spoon and 4-wood. All of the Tommy Armour Tourney Woods in 1941 were designed to set up square, using True-Soled technology.
MacGregor Persimmon Woods – Tommy Armour Tourney Model Overview
- T Models – Round, compact heads
- H Models – ‘Hogan’ Extra deep heads.
- D Models – ‘Demaret’ Pear-shaped heads
- J Models – Jumbo
MacGregor Tommy Armour Tourney T Model Characteristics
- Ebony finish
- Red, vulcanised fibre 5 screw insert
- Natural finished face
- Tommy Armour crown stamp
- The TWS was the standard model while the TSS featured the pro-only, low trajectory, True Temper Hy Action shaft
MacGregor Tommy Armour Tourney H ‘Hogan’ Model Characteristics
- Mahogany finish
- Red, vulcanised fibre 5 screw insert
- Natural finished face
- Deeper face than T or D model
- Tommy Armour crown stamp
- The HWS was the standard model and HH model was teardrop or Heddon shaped.
MacGregor Tommy Armour Tourney D ‘Demaret’ Model
- Mahogany finish
- Red, vulcanised fibre 5 screw insert
- Natural finished face
- Pear-shaped
- Tommy Armour crown stamp
- The DWC had a medium stiff shaft and DLM had a Senior flex shaft
MacGregor Tommy Armour Tourney J ‘Jumbo’ Model
- Ebony finish
- One-half inch deeper than the H Hogan model
- 13* or Brassie loft
- Red, vulcanised fibre 5 screw insert
- Tommy Armour crown stamp
- The BJD had a stiff shaft and the BJM had a medium stiff shaft
1942 Armour, Demaret & Penna
A year later, Tommy Armour Tourney Woods came in just two models. There was the H or Hogan model and the T or Tourney Armour model. Jimmy Demaret had his own model with 3 different True Temper shaft options. Another new line was the Toney Penna Tourney Wood.
1942 MacGregor Persimmon Wood Model Lineup
- T Models – ‘Tommy’ Round, compact heads
- H Models – ‘Hogan’ Extra deep heads.
- Jimmy Demaret – ‘Demaret’ Large pear-shaped heads
- Toney Penna Tourney Wood – Toney Penna’s personal wood
MacGregor Tommy Armour Tourney T Model Characteristics
- Ebony finish
- Red, vulcanised fibre 5 screw insert
- Natural finished face
- Tommy Armour crown stamp
MacGregor Tommy Armour Tourney H ‘Hogan’ Model Characteristics
- Lustrous hand-polished mahogany finish
- Red, vulcanised fibre 5 screw insert
- Natural finished face
- Deeper face than the T model
- Tommy Armour crown stamp
MacGregor Jimmy Demaret Tourney Woods
- Mahogany finish
- Red, vulcanised fibre 5 screw insert
- Large pear-shaped
- Extra deep face as per Tommy Armour H Model
- Jimmy Demaret crown stamp
MacGregor Toney Penna Tourney Woods
- Ebony finish
- Red, vulcanised fibre 5 screw insert
- Large pear-shaped
- Toney Penna crown stamp
1949 Armour, Nelson & Penna Persimmon Drivers & Fairway Woods
Between 1943 and 1948, no catalogues were produced although some woods were manufactured. In 1949, Tommy Armour Tourney Woods came in three models: the 69, 65 and 108. The 108 was a deep-faced 69 model. Byron Nelson Tourney Woods debuted with a single Pro 40 model. Toney Penna Tourney Woods came in 2 models: the Pro 40 and the LFF which was a deep-faced variation of the Pro 40 model.
MacGregor Persimmon Woods – Tommy Armour Tourney Model Overview
- Tommy Armour Tourney Wood 65 & 69 Models (653T, 693T, 693, 695T, and 108T)
- Toney Penna Tourney Wood Pro 40 Model & LFF Pro 40
- Byron Nelson Tourney Wood Pro 40 Model
MacGregor Tommy Armour Tourney Wood 65 (653T Model)
- Ebony finish
- Natural face
- Red, vulcanised fibre 4 screw insert
- Tommy Armour crown stamp
MacGregor Tommy Armour Tourney Wood 69 (693T, 695T, 693, and 108T Models)
- Mahogany finish
- Red, vulcanised fibre 4 screw insert
- Tommy Armour crown stamp
- Deep faced
- 693T – 43″ with True Temper NWDS shaft with corded rubber grip
- 693 – 43″ with leather grip, not corded rubber
- 695T – same as 693T but with 42 1/2″ shaft and corded rubber grip
- 108T – a 1 3/4″ deep-faced 69 series driver at 43″ and sporting a corded rubber grip
It appears the 69 (693T, 693 and 695T) was the replacement for the deep-faced H or Hogan MacGregor Tommy Armour Tourney Wood.
MacGregor Byron Nelson Tourney Wood Pro 40 (403T, 405T and 403H Models)
- Black ebony finish
- Red, vulcanised fibre 4 screw insert
- Tommy Armour crown stamp
- ‘Fairly’ deep faced
- 403T – 43″ with True Temper NWDS shaft with corded rubber grip
- 405T – same as 693T but with 42 1/2″ shaft and corded rubber grip
- 403H – Same as the Pro 40 (403T) but featured the True Temper Hy-Action shaft, mahogany finish and leather grip
MacGregor Toney Penna Tourney Wood Pro 40 (403PT & 106T)
- Black ebony finish
- Red, vulcanised fibre 4 screw insert
- Toney Penna crown stamp
- 403PT – A Pro 40 Model persimmon head with 43″ True Temper TW shaft and cord-rubber grip
- 106T – aka Toney Penna LFF Model Driver – a 403PT spec’d driver with 1 3/4″ deep face
1950 MacGregor Tommy Armour, Toney Penna, Byron Nelson, and MT Tourney Persimmon Woods
By 1950, the 3 product lines from 1949 continued with the addition of the famed MT line. The distinctive MT Crown marking with Art-Deco design queues quickly became iconic and was the first shift away from a cursive signature. The MT Tourney woods were oil hardened as were all persimmon wood heads in the Tourney family but were specially selected for grain structure. The prices of all the Tourney Woods were set at £60 across all families.
MacGregor Persimmon Woods – Tourney Model Overview
- Tommy Armour Tourney Wood 65 & 69 Models (653T, 653, 655T, 655, 693T, 693) It is important to note the deep-faced 108T was dropped.
- Toney Penna Tourney Wood Pro 40 Model (403PT) It is important to note the LFF Pro 40 was dropped.
- Byron Nelson Tourney Wood Pro 40 Model (403T)
- MT Tourney 69 Model (M43T, M43, M33T, M33, M35T, M35) and a new M09T deep-faced driver head.
MacGregor Tommy Armour Tourney Wood 65 (653T, 653, 655T, and 655 Model)
- Ebony finish
- Natural face
- Red, vulcanised fibre 4 screw insert
- Tommy Armour crown stamp
MacGregor Tommy Armour Tourney Wood 69 (693T, and 693 Models)
- Mahogany finish
- Red, vulcanised fibre 4 screw insert
- Tommy Armour crown stamp
- Deep faced
MacGregor Toney Penna Tourney Wood Pro 40 (403PT)
- Black ebony finish
- Red, vulcanised fibre 4 screw insert
- Toney Penna crown stamp
MacGregor Byron Nelson Tourney Wood Pro 40 (403T Models)
- Black ebony finish
- Red, vulcanised fibre 4 screw insert
- Tommy Armour crown stamp
- ‘Fairly’ deep faced
MacGregor MT Tourney Woods (M09T, M43T, M43, M33T, M33, M35T, M35)
- M09T – Black ebony finish with red, vulcanised fibre 4 screw insert, and the iconic MT crown stamp.
- M43T & M43 – The driver was a deep-faced 69 model and fairway woods were Pro 40 models with redwood finish and red vulcanised fibre, 4 screw insert
- M33T & M33 – Same as the M43 but with a black ebony finish and different True Temper shaft.
- M35 & M35T – Same as the M33 but with 42 1/2 shaft.
1951 MacGregor Tommy Armour and MT Tourney Persimmon Woods
The Tommy Armour Tourney Wood 655T and 655 variants were thinned out. The Toney Penna Tourney Wood line was dropped in 1951. The Byron Nelson 663BP was a new shape which removed the duplication of the Pro 40 head across the Toney Penna and Byron Nelson lines. It is also worth noting that they weren’t marketed as a Tourney Wood and were priced at a 25% discount of RRP compared to the Tommy Armour and MT Tourney lines.
MacGregor Persimmon Woods – Tourney Model Overview
- Tommy Armour Tourney Wood 65 & 69 Models (653T, 653, 693T, 693) It is important to note the 655T & 655 models were dropped.
- MT Tourney 69 Model (M43T, M43, M33T, M33, M35T, M35, and M09T, M09)
1952 MacGregor Tommy Armour and MT Tourney Persimmon Woods
The foundation was laid for the peak of MacGregor Tourney Woods in 1952. The iconic Eye-O-Matic insert was introduced with five screws but we would have to wait until 1953 to see six screws. The Tourney Wood lines were again composed of Tommy Armour and MT Tourney Models. The four-screw face insert changed from a diamond formation to a five-screw cross formation on the MT Tourney models whilst the Tommy Armour models retained the diamond formation.
MacGregor Persimmon Woods – Tourney Model Overview
- Tommy Armour Tourney Wood 65 & 69 Models (653T, 653, 693T, 693) It is important to note the 655T & 655 models were dropped.
- MT Tourney 69 Model (M43T, M43, M33T, M33, M35T, M35, and M09T, M09)
MacGregor Persimmon Woods – MT Tourney Model Overview
- MT Tourney M85TW – The classic 69 model was used for the driver head with the Pro 40 head used in the fairways. Mahogany finish with white-black-white Eye-O-Matic five screw, cross formation insert. The grip was red and 43″ in length.
- MT Tourney M85W – Exactly the same as the M85TW but with a red leather grip.
- MT Tourney M75TW – The return of the Pro 40 head in black ebony with a white-red-white red Eye-O-Matic insert with a five-screw cross pattern. Coming in at 43″ and with a red rubber grip.
- MT Tourney M75W – Exactly the same as the M75TW but with a red leather grip.
- MT Tourney M70TW – Same as the M75TW but 42 1/2″
- MT Tourney M70W – Same as the M75W but 42 1/2″
- MT Tourney M09T LFF – Deep-faced jumbo driver. Black ebony glaze with a five-screw, red-white-white Eye-O-Matic insert. 43″ with a red rubber grip.
- MT Tourney M09 LFF – Same as the M09T LFF but with leather grip.
MacGregor Tommy Armour Tourney Model Overview
- Tommy Armour Tourney Wood 65 & 69 Models (653T, 653, 693T, 693)
No material differences were made to the lineup from 1951 to 1952.
1953 MacGregor Tommy Armour and MT Tourney Persimmon Woods
Changes to both lineups and models and perhaps the greatest persimmon driver of all time was released in the MacGregor MT Tourney Mo9T and M09 with the advent of the six-screw Eye-O-Matic insert.
MacGregor Tommy Armour Tourney Model Overview
- Tommy Armour Tourney Wood 65 & 69 Models (945 TW, 945W, 653T, and 653)
The 653T and 653 were kept from 1951 and 1952. The 693T and 693 were renamed the 945TW and 945W. The traditional ebony finish for the 653 and the mahogony finish remained for the 693 (now the 945).
MacGregor MT Tourney Model Overview
- MT Tourney M85TW – The classic 69 model was used for the driver head with the Pro 40 head used in the fairways. Mahogany finish with white-black-white Eye-O-Matic six screw insert. The grip was red and 43″ in length.
- MT Tourney M85W – Exactly the same as the M85TW but with a red leather grip.
- MT Tourney M75TW – The return of the Pro 40 head in a coal-black glaze with a white-red-white Eye-O-Matic insert with a six-screw cross pattern. Coming in at 43″ and with a red rubber grip.
- MT Tourney M75W – Exactly the same as the M75TW but with a red leather grip.
- MT Tourney M70TW – Same as the M75TW but 42 1/2″
- MT Tourney M70W – Same as the M75W but 42 1/2″
- MT Tourney M65W – A shallow-faced model with a red glaze finish and six-screw white-red-white Eye-O-Matic insert.
- MT Tourney M55 – Deep blue glaze with six-screw, white-red-white Eye-O-Matic insert.
- MT Tourney M09T LFF – Deep-faced jumbo driver. Black ebony glaze with a white-red-white Eye-O-Matic insert. 43″ with a red rubber grip.
- MT Tourney M09 LFF – Same as the M09T LFF but with leather grip.
The model range remained the same with the one obvious upgrade of a single screw. The 1953 M09T LFF & Mo9 LFF are perhaps the greatest persimmon drivers ever made.
1954 MacGregor Tommy Armour, MT Tourney, and Re-Emergent Toney Penna Line
The MT Tourney and Tommy Armour lines remained unchanged for 1954. The biggest news was the Toney Penna line was re-introduced after being discontinued in 1951.
MacGregor Toney Penna Model Overview
There were two Toney Penna Models available for 1954: WW/ WWT and TP/ TPT. The TP and TPT were regular stock items but the WWT and WW were special orders.
- TPT and TP were duplicates of Toney Penna’s personal woods. The finish was a highly polished coal-black glaze with the six-screw, red-white-red, Eye-O-Matic insert.
- The WWT and WW were made to order, and finished in white glaze. You could choose the Eye-O-Matic MT Tourney insert, Toney Penna Eye-O-Matic insert, or the Tommy Armour solid colour insert. Red or black leather or rubber grips were options on top of every shaft Macgregor carried. Paintfill was either red or black according to your preference.
MacGregor Tommy Armour Tourney Model Overview
The models didn’t change but the look did. The 945TW and 945W got the six-screw red-white-red Eye-O-Matic insert with the mahogany glaze. The 653T and 653 models came in high gloss coal black with the white-black-white six-screw Eye-O-Matic insert.
MacGregor MT Tourney Model
The 1954 MT Tourney M09T & M09 LFF remained the same with the exception of the Eye-O-Matic insert which changed from an ebony black finished with a white-red-white, six-screw Eye-O-Matic insert to a dark mahogany, white-black-white, six-screw Eye-O-Matic insert.
1955 MacGregor Eye-O-Matic (MT) Tourney, Toney Penna, and Tommy Armour
The 1955 MacGregor Eye-O-Matic MT Tourney lineup and Tommy Armour Tourney lineup remained unchanged. The Toney Penna TPT and TP Tourney Wood remained unchanged. The WWT and WW line was swapped with the Toney Penna Tourney P83TW and P83W.
- MacGregor Toney Penna Tourney P83TW and P83W – Light cherry finish with a five-screw, cross formation, red-white-red Eye-O-Matic insert. The P83W was exactly the same but had a leather grip rather than a rubber grip.
Credits: A fine collection of catalogues was collated by Jim Kaplan in 1980. The catalogue is a rich green colour with gold foil stamping. It is both rare and expensive to purchase but invaluable to a collector. Much of the information in this article has been derived from these catalogues.
Note: Although there were plenty of other persimmon woods made by MacGregor we have focused on the Professional lines made for gentlemen. The ‘Tourney’ family of woods was oil-hardened, kiln-dried, and hand selected for grain structure (especially from the 1950 MT line onwards).
