Equipment
Q&A: The rise of hickory golf, its origins and appeal
CNN recently titled an article “Hickory golf: The ultimate hipster sport?”
While I’m not sure ironic mustaches, craft beer, and obscure music snobbery jive with the use of wooden-shafted clubs and the donning of period attire to better appreciate the game, I wanted to get to the bottom of the phenomenon.
I spoke with Mike Stevens, executive director of the Professional Hickory Golfers Association, about the growing phenomenon that is hickory golf and his work organizing hickory tournaments and preserving the rich history of our singular game.
Stevens has been playing golf for nearly 55 years. The western Massachusetts native went to college in Florida. After playing golf collegiately, he was drafted into the military in the early 70s. He began teaching in the evenings while on base.
I asked him how he got started on the hickory and plus-fours side of things.
From left: Brian Schuman, director of Metropolitan (NY) Hickory Association, Lionel Freedman, director World Hickory Open and Mike Stevens.
MS: My dad took me out to the course when I was nine. He gave me a Sam Snead Blue Ridge iron…he put together a little set for me and one of the clubs in the set was a hickory-shafted 3-iron. I used that set almost up until I was in high school, and I loved that club.
Fifteen or 20 years ago, I was rummaging around in a flea market and there was a barrel of hickory clubs, and I thought to myself: I’m just going grab one of these clubs to have as a reminder of that club I had when I was a kid. When I went to the counter to pay, I asked the guy if he had an old leather grip. He said he didn’t, but [I could] probably get one from the Collectors Society. I had no idea that they existed. I looked them up online, and I joined the society, and I went to one of their annual meetings where people come in with all of their clubs they’ve collected over the years.
They also had a tournament at their annual meeting where you played with hickory clubs. I ended up playing in the tournament and just enjoyed it so much that I put together a set for myself and started playing with them. More and more collectors started playing and they started to organize tournaments around the country…I played in the first National Hickory Championship.
I enjoyed playing with them so much that, eventually, all I played with was hickory clubs. I don’t play with modern equipment at all. But I play sensibly: I play on older golf courses that were built for that type of equipment. Generally, those of us that play try to keep the distance between 5,800 and 6,100 yards.
Hickory golf’s organizing bodies
MS: We have what we call the Society of Hickory Golfers, which is a national organization. There are several world organizations, and I’d estimate there are 2,500 people in the world right now that play hickory golf on a regular basis.
How it really got started? Collectors saying, “Hey, I wonder what it would be like to play with this stuff.” They started playing and realized you can play just as well with these clubs as you can with modern stuff.
It’s a fledgling organization. Right now, we have basically two tournaments in the world with a professional purse. My tournament, which is the United States Professional Hickory Championship … has a $5,000 purse, and it was patterned after the 1925 Florida Open. All of the top professionals in the country came to Temple Terrace and played in that tournament…Walter Hagan, Gene Sarazen, Jim Barnes…when I decided to grow the hickory game a little bit, I thought it would be good for the pros to get some experience with it since a lot of people follow after what the pros do.
I started the tournament five years ago, and I had something like 30 pros come and play, including David Frost. It’s grown slowly over the years. I’d like to have a bigger purse to attract more pros, but at the same time, I want it to be a tribute to the game and how it was first played and make sure we don’t forget how it all started because the more we move into the modern era, nobody remembers any of that. This kind of continues the tradition. That’s really why I started it: to pay tribute to the history of the game.
The other tournament that we have is the World Hickory Open, which is played every year in Scotland, and that also has a $5,000 purse.
What the response has been like
The response has been more positive than anything. Everybody enjoys the experience. Most of the people come back each year. I’d say 80 percent of the people who played in the first tournament come back each year.
The encouraging thing is that I had four or five young guys play last year and they absolutely loved it—I’m talking like 21, 22—and they just had a blast and they’re coming back next year. And I’ve got four or five more young guys trying it for the first time this year.
But everybody who plays had a very positive experience and enjoyed it very much. I’d like to get more pros playing to re-establish that they’re the caretakers of the game and they should be passing it along to everybody.
What it’s like to play hickory golf
Everybody wears a shirt and tie, usually. You don’t have to wear knickers, but a lot of people do. In the era, everybody wore a shirt and tie, which gave it sort of an elegant look.
The actual play: Everybody talks about the modern swing and things of that nature. But the ultimate test is if you can get the club squarely on the ball. It doesn’t really matter how you do that. When using a hickory club, if you hit it well, there’s not a whole lot different from a modern club other than distance. The feel and the trajectories are all pretty much the same. If you mishit, however, then it’s really bad. So, precision is a little more involved…but it’s more satisfying when you hit a good one. That’s part of the enjoyment: When you hit a good shot, you know you made a good swing.
A few of hickory golf’s good things
It brings back a lot of memories of when I was playing as a kid. So, a lot of it’s nostalgia. Part of nostalgia is it makes you feel good. That part lifts my spirits a little bit when I’m playing.
And the other nice thing about playing with hickory is, it doesn’t take long. You’re playing on shorter courses. You’re playing on courses that aren’t overly penal; they always give you an opportunity to make some kind of a recovery shot. You can usually buzz around an older course in 3.5 hours to 4 hours, maximum.
For more, check out the PHGA, the Golf Collectors Society, and the Society of Hickory Golfers websites.
In a golf world where players are looking to eke out every yard possible, usually by lengthening their drivers to add clubhead speed, there’s one player at the PGA Championship who’s going in the opposite direction. In fact, for Rickie Fowler, his goal off the tee is not about gaining extra distance or yards north to south, but rather about shrinking the misses from east to west.
Ahead of the PGA Championship and the week prior at the Truist Championship. Fowler mentioned to Cobra Tour Rep Ben Schomin that the driver didn’t quite swing feel the same as everything in the bag. As a result, and with Schomin’s suggestion to try and sync everything up with the big stick, Fowler decided to test out a shorter length shaft.
“He’s been at 45 (inches), and he’d been at 45 for a few weeks, 44 1/8 (inches) is really is where he is been living really for the most part, for the last couple of years, and is where he is been comfortable,” Schomin told GolfWRX. “It just felt like it was a little long and loose on him.”
Interestingly, Fowler ranks 40th in Driving Accuracy this year on the PGA Tour. It’s his most accurate season with the driver since the start of the decade. But sometimes for players, feel is more important than statistics.
“It was really more of a trying to get the swing to feel the fluidness from club to club to club to try to get it to feel the same,” Schomin added. “And so we took it down to 43 and a quarter, and it was a touch of a ball speed loss, just based on that overall club head speed. But honestly, he squared it up probably a little better. The right miss wasn’t nearly as far. So really, overall down-range dispersion tightened up a fair amount, and he felt confident in swinging it.”
The change in length had Fowler’s caddie, Ricky Romano, beaming at how well he had driven during Tuesday’s practice round at Aronimink. So much so, he was asking Schomin not to suggest changes anymore.
Fowler’s shaft-shortening is one of a few driver adjustments he’s made this season, and to Schomin’s credit, it’s thanks to the fact that he and the rest of the Cobra team had Fowler fit very well into three of the four heads in the Cobra OPTM lineup.
“He had three distinct drivers and the biggest decision was trying to decide which worked best at that time,” Schomin told GolfWRX previously. “He’s played the majority of the season with OPTM X, but has also played a couple of tournaments with OPTM LS. His overall driving stats have been good.”
At the RBC Heritage earlier this spring, Fowler switched drivers, changing from his Cobra OPTM X and into the Tour, low-loft Max K model that Gary Woodland used to win just a few weeks prior.
Now for the PGA Championship, Fowler’s back in the X head, but still using the UST Mamiya LIN-Q PowerCore White 6TX shaft, just a little bit shorter.
“Will he stay there? I’m not sure,” Schomin added. “Could we end up say at like 43 and 7.5 (of an inch). If it’s giving him the same feel of consistency through the bag, then I think we might end up just a touch longer. But if he likes where he is at, he’s confident where he is at, that’s really all that matters.”
If there’s more testing, though, just don’t tell his caddie.
What you need to know: As is customary for the Fairhaven-based company, Titleist officially announced today that its GTS drivers are headed to retail, following a successful tour release. The GTS2, GTS3, and GTS4 drivers will be available in golf shops June 11.
Since debuting at the Texas Children’s Houston Open, the new GTS lineup has quickly gained traction on the PGA Tour, with more than 50 players already making the switch to a GTS2, GTS3, or GTS4 driver. Among them are Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth.
Justin Thomas’ Titleist GTS2 driver (Greg Moore, GolfWRX)
According to Titleist, the GTS series builds upon the performance foundation established by the GT Series, while introducing several major technological advancements, including a new Split Mass Frame construction, refined aerodynamics, and an updated Speed Sync face design.
2026 Titleist GTS drivers: What’s new, key technology
Split Mass Frame and thermoform body
At the center of the new GTS lineup is a redesigned internal structure: the Split Mass Frame. This technology works with a full-thermoform body made from Titleist’s Proprietary Matrix Polymer (PMP), a lightweight composite that enables engineers to reposition mass more efficiently throughout the head. Compared to the previous GT generation, GTS drivers feature nearly double the PMP material, increasing from 13 grams to 26 grams, while maintaining the sound and feel preferred by better players.
The weight savings from the thermoform construction allowed Titleist engineers to strategically separate mass placement inside the head. Specifically, more weight is pushed rearward to improve stability and forgiveness, while additional mass is positioned low and forward to optimize speed, launch, and spin.
In short, golfers are able to maintain ball speed and consistency across both centered and off-center strikes.
Faster aerodynamics
Titleist also refined the aerodynamic shaping of the GTS heads to help players generate more clubhead speed.
The tails of the new GTS2 and GTS3 heads have been raised compared to previous models, helping airflow stay attached to the crown and sole longer during the swing. According to Titleist, the improved airflow reduces drag and increases speed without affecting launch conditions or center of gravity placement.
Typically, aerodynamic gains can compromise forgiveness or launch characteristics, but the weight savings from the Split Mass Frame allowed engineers to preserve preferred CG locations.
New Speed Sync face
The new Speed Sync Face design is engineered to improve ball speed retention across a larger portion of the face. A reinforced perimeter structure helps maximize face deflection and COR on centered strikes, while the upper portion of the support ring is opened up to increase speed on high-face impacts, a common strike location for many golfers. The face also features a variable thickness design to preserve speed and performance across a wider impact area.
Expanded adjustability
Each GTS model includes a dual-weighting system to fine-tune launch, spin, and shot shape more precisely than previous generations. GTS2 uses interchangeable forward and aft weights, while GTS3 and GTS4 combine a rear weight with an adjustable forward track weight system.
Tour-inspired face graphics
The new lineup features redesigned high-contrast face graphics to improve alignment and framing at address, according to Titleist. Sharp visual lines are designed to make it easier to center the golf ball and to perceive loft more easily at setup.
Additional model details
GTS2
- The GTS2 is the most forgiving model, designed for golfers seeking maximum stability and consistent speed across the face.
- It produces high launch with mid spin and features a larger, confidence-inspiring profile behind the ball.
- Standard weighting includes an 11-gram forward weight and a 5-gram rear weight, with additional fitting configurations available.
GTS3
- The GTS3 is aimed at players who want more control over launch, spin, and shot shaping.
- Compared to GTS2, the GTS3 offers lower launch and spin while featuring a more compact profile and deeper face design preferred by many stronger players.
- The head features an adjustable forward-track weight system to further fine-tune center of gravity placement.
GTS4
- The lowest-spinning option in the lineup, GTS4 is built for golfers looking to reduce excessive spin and maximize total distance.
- Unlike previous “4” models from Titleist, the new GTS4 features a full 460cc profile that improves forgiveness and stability while retaining its low-spin DNA.
- Like GTS3, it includes a forward track weighting system for precise fitting adjustments.
What Titleist says
“When we talk about driver design, it’s never about the one feature or benefit — it’s about all of them,” said Stephanie Luttrell, Titleist’s Senior Director of Metalwood R&D. “Ball speed, forgiveness, spin stability, adjustability, exceptional sound and feel… these are all attributes that golfers care about. It’s our job to design a lineup that elevates performance across the board without sacrificing in key areas, and we feel we’ve done that with GTS.”
“We know that forward CGs drive speed with great launch and spin characteristics, but you need to be able to do that with an inertial stability that still preserves ball speed, launch and spin consistency on off-center hits,” Luttrell said. “We’ve never before been able to hit these CG positions and inertia properties at the same time, and we’re achieving that because of GTS’ construction.”
Club Junkie’s take
I feel like every time there is a new Titleist wood release, I figure they can’t outdo their previous driver. And every year, I am wrong and impressed with the performance. The GTS fits right into that narrative again, as I didn’t know where Titleist could go from GT, but they pushed the limits again, and my fitting proved the smart people there found ways to improve.
My past four Titleist drivers have been a 2 series as my swing typically requires a little height, spin, and forgiveness so I figured I would just get a new GTS2 and be on my way. During the fitting, I was impressed by the new GTS construction, its added PMP material, and the advanced adjustability on each model. My fitter, Joey, got to work putting together a GTS2 and we started there. The launch and spin were great, and the consistency on misses was very tight. My average ball speed with the GTS went up a little bit as the new Speed Sync face creates more speed away from the center.
Joey then built up a GTS3 in 11 degrees, but I figured this wouldn’t have the stability I needed for tight dispersion on my miss hits. That thought was quickly erased after a few shots, and I really liked the more center start line and reduced draw on the misses I was seeing. We tried a few different settings and shafts to dial in the details in order to get the best fit. Having a forward and rear weight in the head allowed Joey to set up the GTS3 with a heavier rear weight to keep the launch and spin up, while the Sure Fit hosel set flat created a more center start line for me. My misses were not nearly as far left, and I was really impressed with the consistency on the spin and launch when I didn’t hit it in the center.
Titleist again created a wood line in GTS that delivers improvements over previous drivers while keeping the traditional look and feel you expect. More adjustability, better off-center speed, and 3 drivers that are playable over a wider range of players should make these extremely successful in fittings.
Pricing, specs, availability
GTS2 lofts: 8, 9, 10, 11 degrees (RH/LH)
GTS3 lofts: 8, 9, 10, 11 degrees (RH/LH)
GTS4 lofts: 8, 9, 10 (RH/LH)
Featured shafts
- Project X Titan Black
- Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White
- Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Blue
- Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Red
Premium shafts
- Graphite Design Tour AD DI
- Graphite Design Tour AD VF
- Graphite Design Tour AD FI
Available for fittings and pre-sale now.
In golf shops worldwide beginning June 11.
Price: $699 (standard), $899 (premium)
Titleist has today introduced its new GTS2 and GTS3 fairways.
Lower and deeper center of gravity (CG) positions, new adjustable heel-toe weights and advanced clubface innovations drive total performance in the two tour-proven models.
- Tour-inspired polished clubfaces: To help players see more of the clubface at address.
GTS2 Fairway
The new GTS2 fairway is designed with a shallower face and a larger profile than GTS3, ideal for players with more sweeping deliveries with their fairway metals.
GTS2’s new face height, inspired by tour feedback, was designed shallower than the prior generation GT2 model and more in line with the GT1 fairway. Each loft in GTS2 leverages a shallower profile except for the 13.5-degree, which maintains a slightly taller face.
With its new dual-weighting system, the ‘2’ model now has heel-toe CG adjustability.
Lofts: 13.5, 15.0, 16.5, 18.0, 21.0
Dual-weight system: 11-gram weight in heel, 5-gram weight in toe (standard)
GTS3 Fairway
The new GTS3 fairway is designed with a deeper face and a more compact profile, ideal for players who hit down on the golf ball more with their fairway metals.
New to the GTS3 family is a 21-degree offering, giving players two distinct profiles in Titleist’s 7-wood loft.
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Greg V
Mar 16, 2015 at 12:42 pm
Tom Duckworth –
It is quite OK to use antique clubs, but most hickory players will re-glue iron heads on old clubs, particularly if there is a bit of a rattle when you tap the head on the ground.
If you go to the section on this site: Classic Golf and Golfers – Hickory, Persimmon and Classic Clubs – you will find a thread on Playing Hickory Golf. In that thread, say withing the last 3 or 4 pages, there is valuable information on how to re-glue and pin old iron clubs. Also there is some good information for restoring wood clubs.
Old shafts can break, and new shafts can break as well. There are people who will sell replacement shafts. Tad Moore is one such person.
I know of a local club repair person who has done a nice job of re-gluing, re-gripping and restoring my hickory clubs. At this point I chose to play them, but I leave the repairs to an expert. You may be able to find one in your area.
Tom Duckworth
Mar 14, 2015 at 6:42 pm
It sounds fun I would have liked a bit more information on equipment. Is it OK to use old clubs or are they too fragile? I have some around that seem pretty solid and will modern golf balls hurt these old clubs?
Ronald Montesano
Mar 14, 2015 at 6:17 pm
Sprinters finish in under 3 hours. Sprinters who have no interest in camaraderie, etc. Sprinters who play alone, or perhaps with a fellow sprinter, get around in under 3 hours. Golf in the USA has a social element to it. There is no reason a 4-hour round should be denigrated. Folks who operate on the extremes are snobs by nature and definition.
gvogel
Mar 14, 2015 at 9:20 am
There are two companies making reproduction hickory clubs: Loiusville Golf and Tad Moore Hickory. Tad is a frequent contributor to this site. He was an early adaptor and founder of hickory golf, and still continues to play at a very high level in hickory tournaments.
Tony Tubrick
Mar 13, 2015 at 11:44 pm
I enjoyed this article very much. I am an almost lifelong resident of Omaha, Nebraska which has its fair share of hickory golfers and excellent hickory-friendly courses to play at. In addition I am kept busy at Classic Golf restoring and repairing hickories for players around the country and even the world.
I’ve seen hickory golf grow dramatically in recent years. It’s encouraging to see the sport grow in this direction and I highly recommend golfers try it not just because it is the business I am in but to experience a bit of the roots of this game the way it was played over 100 years ago. Quite addictive. I find when I do get out and play that I choose to play my hickories much more often than my modern clubs. It’s simply more fun and challenging.
Dan
Mar 13, 2015 at 8:00 pm
I live in a Detroit suberb. We have a group (The Wyandotte Hickory Organization, Wyandotte, MI) with over 60 members from 5 states and Canada who play hickories 1-3 times per week. We have 2 tournaments every year where we wear knickers (some guys wear kilts), ties, period hats, and we are lead onto the course by a bag piper. We also play several matches every summer against a group of players from the other side of the state, Grand Rapids (The Michigan Hickory Tour). Great fun.
My hickory handicap is about the same as my modern club handicap. Hickory play has actually improved my handicap because tempo is so important in hickories. Every year we play a hickory match against the local high school varsity golf team. Yes, they use some of our extra player sets,,,and they have a ball. They can’t go out for a beer after with us,,,but someday.
If anyone reading this lives in Michigan or Northern Ohio and would like to try hickories we have a lot of play sets. Contact me at: danielriley9807@att.net.
Oh, the cost of joining the WHO (our mascot is obviously an owl) is the cost of a shirt and a hat and a round of drinks.
Jim
Mar 13, 2015 at 5:00 pm
Good information. Lots more can be found on the website of the Society of Hickory Golfers. Look under “Resources” and you’ll info on finding hickory clubs and putting together a starter set. Good fun learning about this style of golf. One thing for sure, it’s a lot more fun to play.
cody
Mar 13, 2015 at 2:58 pm
nice write up. The only thing that I would have included would be where can you acquire the gear?
RI_Redneck
Mar 13, 2015 at 10:58 am
LOL. Great first post there bud. On a serious note, I hope to acquire a couple of sets so my son and I can start participating in this. I love the old stuff and trying Hickory is #1 on my bucket list. Love to play in Scotland at that tourney. That would be the BEST!!
U3
Mar 13, 2015 at 9:47 am
3.5 hours to 4 hours is TOO LONG playing on shorter course with hickory. You should be getting done in under 3 hours.
Jon
Mar 13, 2015 at 10:41 am
U3, if you believe that rounds played with hickory should take less than 3 hours then shouldn’t we all be playing hickory instead of modern equipment? The courses I play our 4-somes can get around in about 3-3.5 hours with modern equipment. If we switch to hickory we should be able to finish in about 2.5 hours. Please explain so I can better understand the logic.
Dan
Mar 13, 2015 at 8:04 pm
It takes us no longer to play a round with hickories than to play a round with modern clubs. Time is a function of the player, not the clubs.