From B&Q Dowels to Rory McIlroy's Bag: The Scot Sticks Story Alistair Pugh – Scot Sticks | Custom Ash Wood Golf Alignment Sticks, the Ryder Cup & Scotland's Golf Craft Heritage

<p><strong>Follow us on Instagram: @linkedbygolfpodcast</strong></p><p><br></p><p>What do a COVID lockdown, a set of B&amp;Q garden dowels, and a PhD in golf ball design have in common? The answer is Scot Sticks — and one of the best small business stories in golf.</p><p>Alistair Pugh grew up a scratch golfer in Scotland, played for the British Universities team, and counts Western Gailes as his home course. In 2020, stuck at home with gigs cancelled (he was a professional drummer), he started hand-painting alignment sticks in his flat. They were, by his own admission, absolutely dreadful. But there was something there.</p><p>His PhD research had revealed that <strong>ash wood</strong> — not hickory — was the original timber of golf. So Scot Sticks were built on that: <strong>UK-sourced ash wood</strong>, made in the country that invented the game. Every material, every end cap, every paint — sourced right here.</p><p>Six years on, the client list is extraordinary. The <strong>2023 European Ryder Cup team</strong> in Rome. The <strong>GB&amp;I Walker Cup side at St Andrews</strong>. The <strong>Curtis Cup</strong>. Sticks engraved with the names of Rory McIlroy, Viktor Hovland, Jon Rahm and Luke Donald. And Rory — spotted on the range in Dubai using the sticks properly as a practice aid — went on to complete the <strong>Grand Slam</strong> shortly after. Al notes the timeline. The prize money cut, sadly, was never written into the contract.</p><p>All of it built with <strong>zero paid marketing</strong>. Just Instagram, a brilliant product, and word of mouth from some of the best golfers and clubs in the world.</p><ul><li>The lockdown origin story and the first chaotic Christmas of 60 orders</li><li>Why ash wood is the original wood of golf — and why it matters</li><li>Supplying the Ryder Cup, Walker Cup, and Curtis Cup</li><li>Rory McIlroy, the Grand Slam, and a very one-sided sponsorship deal</li><li>Bespoke custom orders — and the man who paid custom prices for a plain stick</li><li>The dream: a Claret Jug on a stick at The Open</li></ul><p><strong>Find Scot Sticks:</strong>Instagram: @scot.sticks | <a href="mailto:hello@scotstix.com">hello@scotstix.com</a></p><p>#ScotSticks #GolfPodcast #LinkedByGolf #ScottishGolf #GolfAccessories #AlignmentSticks #BespokeGolf #RyderCup #WalkerCup #RoryMcIlroy #GolfGifts #UKMadeGolf #AshWood #CustomGolf #ScotlandGolf</p><p><strong>Keywords:</strong> Scot Sticks, custom golf alignment sticks, ash wood golf equipment, Scottish golf accessories, Ryder Cup 2023, Rory McIlroy, bespoke golf gifts, UK made golf products, golf practice aids, Linked by Golf Podcast</p>