Did You Know A Sioux Falls Man Invented The ‘Golf Club Grip’?

Did you know that back in 1949, a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man invented the modern rubber golf club grip?

Sioux Falls inventor Thomas L. Fawick is credited with creating the modern rubber golf club grip...an advancement that changed how golfers hold and control their clubs.

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Before Fawick’s breakthrough, most golf club grips were made of leather, which could become slick with sweat or rain, making it harder for players to maintain a consistent hold.

In 1949, Fawick introduced a durable rubber alternative and founded the “Fawick Flexi-Grip” company to bring his idea to life.

His rubber grips provided improved traction, comfort, and consistency.

Fawick wasn’t just a one-hit wonder; he was a prolific inventor with numerous patents to his name.

Born in 1889, Thomas L. Fawick grew up in Sioux Falls and showed an early knack for innovation. He left school at just 14 years old, but that didn’t slow his ambition.

By age 18, Fawick had already designed and built his own automobile...a two-cylinder vehicle he called the “Silent Sioux.”

In 1909, he turned that passion into a business, founding the Silent Sioux Auto Manufacturing Company.

Just a year later, the company evolved into the Fawick Motor Car Company, marking the beginning of his expanding footprint in the early automotive industry.

One of his standout creations was the “Fawick Flyer,” a car he proudly claimed to be the first four-door automobile made in America.

You can see one of the classic Fawick Flyers parked at the Old Courthouse Museum in downtown Sioux Falls.