Frequently Asked Questions

Hickory golf is playing with clubs made before the steel shaft era -- roughly pre-1935. These clubs have wooden shafts made from hickory, the strongest and most flexible hardwood available. The game feels completely different. There's no technology doing the work for you. It's just desire, passion, and feel for the game. I tell people: one swing with a hickory club, and you'll understand what golf was always meant to be.

You need clubs with hickory shafts, yes. Some players use original antique clubs that have been restored to playing condition. Others use reproduction clubs built to period specifications. Either way, the key is that the shafts are genuine hickory wood. Most hickory golf tournaments and societies require clubs with hickory shafts and heads made before 1935, or faithful reproductions. I sell both restored originals and can point you in the right direction.

Start simple. You don't need 14 clubs. Most hickory players carry 7 or fewer. A good starter set includes a driver or brassie, a mid-iron, a mashie (your workhorse), a niblick for short game, and a putter. I sell complete play-ready sets, or I can help you build one piece by piece based on your game. A matched set from a single maker is ideal, but mixed sets play just fine.

Absolutely. In some ways, hickory is better for learning because it forces good fundamentals. You can't muscle a hickory club -- the swing has to be smooth and rhythmic. I coached golf for 24 years and I can tell you: the players who struggle most with hickory are the ones with bad habits that modern equipment covers up. If you have a decent swing, you'll love it.

The Society of Hickory Golfers is the main organization. They maintain a tournament calendar, and there are events all over the country and internationally. The World Hickory Open in Scotland, the US Hickory Open, and dozens of regional events happen every year. Many regular golf courses welcome hickory players any day of the week -- you don't need a special course. Check in with your local hickory golf society chapter for events near you.

Almost any antique hickory club can be made play-worthy. The old makers used good wood -- that's the foundation. If the shaft is cracked through or the head is split beyond saving, those are the rare exceptions. But most clubs I see, even ones in rough shape, have life left in them. I've restored clubs that looked hopeless and turned them into tournament-ready players. Send me photos and I'll give you an honest assessment.

A play-ready club is restored to be swung -- on the course, in tournaments, hitting real golf balls. That's what most of my work focuses on. A wall-worthy club is one with significant historical value that shouldn't be altered. If a famous player used it, if there are only a handful in the world, if it has original markings that tell a story -- that club belongs on display. You don't want to ruin that history. I'll always tell you which category your club falls into.

It depends on the club's condition, but common work includes reshafting with period-correct hickory, regripping with suede or leather, refinishing wood heads with appropriate varnishes, replacing worn whipping, and fitting new horn ferrules where needed. Every club gets assessed individually. I use period-correct materials and techniques -- the right whipping for the era, the right grip style, the right varnish. Historical accuracy matters more than making something look shiny.

Individual services start at $2 for new whipping and go up from there. Reshafting is $30, refinishing wood heads is $25, regripping is $8, and replacing a horn ferrule is $15. A full restoration where multiple services are combined typically runs $50-$100+ per club depending on condition. I'll give you a clear estimate before any work begins. No surprises. You can see the full service list and pricing on our Custom Clubwork page.

Standard turnaround is 2-4 weeks. That accounts for proper drying time on finishes and the careful handwork each club requires. If you have a tournament deadline, let me know and I'll do my best to prioritize. Rush jobs are possible but I won't compromise quality for speed -- every club gets the attention it deserves.

Fill out the request form on our Custom Clubwork page. You can print it to include with your shipment. Email photos of your club to brad@oldworldhickorygolf.com first -- full length shot, head from multiple angles, and any damage. I'll assess from the photos and let you know what to expect before you ship anything. Contact me for the shipping address.

Yes. Every club I sell is a genuine antique hickory golf club, typically dating from the 1890s through the 1930s. Each one has been individually assessed, restored where needed, and tested to be play-ready. The product descriptions include the maker, approximate era, and details about the restoration work. What you see is what you get -- I photograph every club honestly.

Yes. We ship internationally via DHL Express and USPS to select countries. International rates are calculated at checkout based on destination and package weight. Estimated duties and import taxes are shown at checkout so there are no surprise fees. Every club is carefully wrapped and shipped in protective tubes or boxes designed for golf equipment. For countries not listed at checkout, contact me for a quote.

All sales are final due to the unique, vintage nature of these clubs. That said, I stand behind every club and every piece of restoration work. If something isn't right -- if it arrived damaged, doesn't match the description, or you have any concerns -- email me at brad@oldworldhickorygolf.com. I'll work with you to make it right. Your satisfaction matters to me. These are relationships, not transactions.

Free shipping on all domestic U.S. orders over $200. For orders under $200, rates are based on package weight: $12 for up to 3 lbs, $17 for 3-6 lbs, and $25 for 6-20 lbs. Priority and express options are available at checkout.

These are the original names for iron clubs before numbers took over. A mid-iron is roughly equivalent to a modern 2-iron. A mashie is like a 5-iron -- it's the most versatile club in a hickory bag. A mashie-niblick is similar to a 7-iron, and a niblick is your short-game club, like a 9-iron or pitching wedge. There's also the cleek (1-2 iron), the jigger (a utility approach club), and the putting cleek (a putter). See our Glossary for the full rundown.

These are wood club names. A driver is still called a driver (or sometimes a play club). A brassie is the equivalent of a 2-wood -- it has a brass sole plate for hitting off the fairway. A spoon is roughly a 3-wood, with more loft than a brassie. The names come from the clubs' physical characteristics, not arbitrary numbers. Once you learn a few, the whole system makes more sense than modern numbering.

Keep them dry. That's the most important thing. Hickory shafts and wooden heads don't like prolonged moisture. After playing in wet conditions, wipe them down and let them air dry completely before storing. Apply linseed oil to wood heads once or twice a year to keep the wood nourished. Store clubs upright in a dry space, out of extreme heat. Don't leave them in your car trunk. Treated well, a hickory club will outlast you -- these clubs have already survived 100 years.

You can, but most hickory players and tournaments use reproduction gutta-percha balls or approved balls that fly shorter distances. Modern balls fly too far and too straight for the courses and distances hickory golf was designed around. The Society of Hickory Golfers has approved ball lists for sanctioned events. For casual play, any ball works -- but you'll get the most authentic experience with a period-appropriate ball.

I coached golf for 24 years. Hundreds of student-athletes. Frame-by-frame swing analysis -- I learned to see things others miss. The compensation, the geometry, the moment where mechanics break down. Before that, I was twelve years old at Bear Creek golf course in Medford, Oregon, pulling clubs out of the garbage because it bothered me to see them thrown away. John Watson, one of the pros, told me "any club can be repaired" and showed me the basics. My dad opened a repair school in Reno. Between his teaching and the books from Golf Works, Golfsmith, and Roger Maltby, I learned the craft from the ground up. That coaching eye and those repair skills are what I bring to every club I restore.