Hickory golf revival drives popularity of wooden clubs

Wooden golf clubs are making a comeback as a century-old version of the game undergoes a revival.

Hickory golf is a variation on the game where players use wooden shafted clubs instead of metal ones and was popular more than 100 years ago.

A surge in interest has been inspired by players restoring old clubs and wearing golf outfits of the period.

Such is the growth in popularity, including at Truro Golf Club where members have been embracing the traditional sport, that the Cornwall Golf Union (CGU) has decided to officially recognise hickory golf, bringing it to the same standing as modern forms of the game.

It is the first county in Britain to give the game official recognition.

Martin Edwards, the union’s president, said: “Golf’s been played in Cornwall since 1889.

“We thought it was a good idea to get involved and to go back to a traditional way of playing golf again.”

The game’s popularity is growing across pockets of Britain and the US, with member societies recognising and promoting the game, and organising tournaments.

In the UK, the British Golf Collectors Society (BGCS) is promoting the history and traditions of golf and currently has 52 fixtures planned throughout 2024, kicking off on March 7.

Its Facebook group has more than 1,700 members, where enthusiasts discuss the history of the game and their own wooden club restoration projects.

In July, there will be an international tournament, with Great Britain and Ireland playing together against a European side in a three-day tournament set to take place at the Royal Blackheath Golf Club in London.

Paul East, who will captain the British side, is among the golfers in Truro to have made the switch to a wooden shaft.

He said it was the history and tradition of hickory golf that sparked his interest, having initially owned – but not used – some of the traditional clubs.

“I thought, this is the game for me, not just having the hickory clubs hanging on the wall, but actually playing with them,” Mr East said.

“So for the last five years I’ve only played hickory golf, I haven’t touched a modern club since.”

Players of the game believe the traditional wooden clubs give them a “softer and more responsive feel”, as well as a sense of nostalgia from playing the game “the way it was meant to be played”.

Mr East also said it is important to look the part and dress in old-fashioned clothing.

“Hickory is a traditional game and it’s not a bad idea to dress appropriately, which basically means plus fours.

“You don’t have to, but it’s the norm in this game,” he added.

The CGU has organised a hickory golf competition in Lostwithiel in August to promote the sport.

There is also the London Hickory Open taking place every October, while the South of England Hickory Golf Club also organises events for members.

Shaun Davies, a founder of Hickory Golf South West, has been making hickory clubs since 1990, following in the footsteps of his grandfather.

“My grandfather started club-making when he was 14,” he told the BBC. “He was getting to retirement age with no one else to take it on. So here I am 34 years later still making clubs.

“The sport is growing, definitely – I can’t see myself stopping my job.”