A Brief Review Of Golf Club HistoryGeneral Golf club history forms an integral part of the development of golf. The changes in golf clubs over the years reflected to a large extent the history of golf balls. As the golf ball technology changed, golf club technology had to change to keep up. There were actually four different periods of development during the history of the golf ball. They are:
Pre-Feathery In the very earliest times of golf, the balls used were originally stones that were more or less round, later supplanted by hand-made hardwood balls. The golf clubs used at the time were probably shepherd's crooks or similarly bent sticks. This was the situation that existed from the mid fifteenth century until the feathery ball was invented. Feathery The Feathery ball (seventeenth century) was made by stuffing goose feathers into a hand-made sphere of cow-hide. Once a ball of this nature was available, it changed golf club history. There was now a move to design and build clubs that were specific to the game of golf. Thus wooden clubs with more or less similar (but varying) length were designed with compact heads. Because the featherys were relatively fragile, club heads were built with smooth faces so as not to damage the leather cover. There were metal clubs, but these were only used in exceptional circumstances (for getting out of trouble such as cart wheel ruts). The wooden clubs tended to be long-nosed relative to what we are currently used to.
The advent of the harder gutty ball required some new club designs and once again golf club technology responded. While the clubs used for the featherys risked damaging the ball, the gutty balls tended to damage the clubs being used at that time. Thus harder materials needed to be used for club heads, and stronger materials for club shafts. The head also became shorter and thicker. Eventually heads were largely made of persimmon and shafts of hickory, both imported from America. To better deal with the gutta perch balls, club makers started installing faces of harder material, such as leather, brass, or bone. The use of metal clubs became more frequent as the balls were stronger. Also, if a cut was made in a gutta percha ball, it could be taken home that night, heated, and re-formed.
Starting with the invention of the (Haskell) wound ball, the development of clubs became more and more rapid. The development of new technologies, such as metal "woods", modern steel shafts, (ruled illegal by both the USGA and the R&A, until 1926 and 1931 respectively) and later graphite and other composite material shafts changed the construction of clubs drastically. The rapidity of development of club heads is still amazing as shape and function are changing almost yearly as manufacturers seek any kind of competitive advantage. Although we cannot say that golf club history is being re-made in modern times, who knows what the future may bring.
Golf club history would not be complete without mentioning the problem created by the unbridled development of club manufacturers. Both the R&A and the USGA have struggled with this problem in order to provide as level a playing field as possible for the varied golf population. Go here to read about it! To go to Golf Ball History click here To return from Golf Club History to History of Golf click here
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