Frequently Asked Questions

Every club I sell is a genuine antique — original hickory shafts, original heads, dating from roughly the 1890s through the 1930s. Not reproductions. Not replicas. The real thing, individually sourced, assessed, and brought back to playing condition where needed.

Product listings include the maker, approximate era, condition notes, and any work that was done to the club. What you see is what you get — I photograph every club honestly, including wear marks and age patina. These clubs have character. That's the point.

Every listing is labeled clearly: play-ready or display. Play-ready means it's been tested — shaft sound, head tight, grip functional, whipping intact. I grew up repairing clubs and spent 24 years coaching golf. I know what a playable club feels like, and I won't sell a club as play-ready unless I'd swing it myself.

Display clubs are typically ones with exceptional historical value — worth preserving exactly as-is. I'll always tell you which is which.

Absolutely. Most modern courses welcome hickory players any day of the week — you don't need a special venue. Distances are shorter and the feel is completely different, but the fundamentals of the game are the same. Many players find that a round with hickory clubs re-sharpens their technique in ways a season of modern equipment never would.

If you're playing in tournaments, check with the organizing society (the Society of Hickory Golfers is the main body) for club and ball specifications.

Every club is worked on by Brad Harvey — that's me. I learned the craft from my father, who ran a club repair school in Reno, and from the foundational texts in the trade (Golf Works, Golfsmith, Roger Maltby). I've been at this since I was twelve years old, when a pro at Bear Creek golf course in Medford, Oregon showed me that any club can be repaired.

Before hickory, I coached golf for 24 years. That coaching eye — reading swing geometry, understanding why clubs fail — is what I bring to the workbench. I know what makes a club perform, not just what makes it look good.

It depends on the club. 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.

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. Every club is assessed individually; there's no one-size-fits-all restoration.

Individual services start at $2 (new whipping) and go up from there: reshafting is $30, wood head refinishing is $25, regripping is $8, and horn ferrule replacement is $15. A full restoration typically runs $50–$100+ per club depending on what the club needs. See the full list on our Custom Clubwork page.

Standard turnaround is 2–4 weeks — that's for proper drying time and careful handwork. If you have a tournament deadline, let me know. I'll work with you. I won't compromise quality to rush something out the door.

Yes. Start by filling out the form on the Custom Clubwork page. Email photos first — full-length shot, head from multiple angles, any damage — and I'll give you an honest assessment and estimate before you ship anything. Contact me for the current shipping address.

Every club is wrapped and packed to survive the journey. We use protective tubes or boxes specifically designed for golf equipment — the same packaging I'd want used on a club I was receiving. Clubs are insured for their listed value.

If something arrives damaged, email me with photos immediately. We'll make it right.

Sales are final on vintage items — the unique, one-of-a-kind nature of these clubs makes traditional returns impractical. That said, I stand behind every club and every piece of work I do.

If a club arrives damaged, doesn't match the description, or something isn't right — email me. I'll work with you to find a fair resolution. These are relationships, not transactions. Your confidence in buying from me matters more than any single sale.

Free shipping on all domestic U.S. orders over $200. For orders under $200, shipping is based on 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.

Yes. International shipping via DHL Express and USPS is available to select countries. Rates and estimated duties are shown at checkout — no surprise fees on delivery. For countries not listed, contact me for a quote.

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 ball. One swing with a hickory club and you'll understand what golf was always meant to be.

Start simple. You don't need 14 clubs. Most hickory players carry 7 or fewer. A good starter set: a driver or brassie, a mid-iron, a mashie (your workhorse), a niblick for the 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.

The Club Builder is another option — choose a head, a shaft, and a grip and I'll assemble a matched club to your preferences.

Absolutely. In some ways, hickory is better for learning, because it demands good fundamentals. You can't muscle a hickory club — the swing has to be smooth and rhythmic. Players who struggle most are the ones with bad habits that modern equipment has been covering up. If your swing is decent, you'll love it.

The Society of Hickory Golfers is the main body — they maintain a full tournament calendar with events all over the US and internationally, including the World Hickory Open in Scotland and the US Hickory Open. Most regular golf courses welcome hickory players any day. Check in with your local hickory society chapter for events near you.

Keep them dry. That's the most important thing. Hickory shafts and wooden heads don't like sustained moisture. After playing in wet conditions, wipe them down and let them air dry 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, away from extreme heat — don't leave them in a car trunk.

Treated well, a hickory club will outlast you. These clubs have already survived 100 years.

These are the original iron names before numbers took over. A mid-iron is roughly a modern 2-iron. A mashie is like a 5-iron — 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 (putter). See the Glossary for the full list.

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. The names come from each club's physical characteristics, not arbitrary numbers. Once you learn a few, the whole system makes more sense than modern numbering.

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