History of Golf Clubs from the Late 1800s to Now

This paper is about the history of golf clubs from the late 1800s to now. Before the end of the 19th century, clubs were made by local blacksmiths and there was no mass production. I will focus on the part when golf become more accessible for everyone, when the clubs starts to be made in factories.

Wooden shafts were used until 1929 when the R & A legalized steel shafts. Steel provides more accuracy and durability than wooden shafts so the transition from wood to steel began around this date. The material has led to a different swing technique according to the GolfClubRevue: ‘’The slow, languid, handsy swing of the 19th century and hickory shafts was replaced by a more precise and controlled body swing. Club head speed could now be maximized without requiring precise timing. The modern swing was born. ‘’ (GolfClubRevue, n.d) In 1931, the sand wedge was introduced to the game with a straight face and added bounce. It was the beginning of the innovation in club design. As an example, people used to carry 20 to 30 golf clubs to the golf course until the R & A limited golfers to 14 clubs in 1939. After the World War II, science has been used for golf clubs to improve and develop new materials. Fiberglass has been tried in the 1960’s decade but it was not successful. Something great happened in 1963 for the golfers, as the new casting method made clubs less expensive. Another revolution has occurred in 1970’s decade: ‘’In the 1970’s, Karsten Solheim invented the Ping Putter, which had more weight at the heel and toe which enabled golfers to putt straighter. ‘’ (Professional Golfers Career College, 2019) Also, the graphite era began in 1973 when its properties were used to improve the golf clubs. Graphite shaft are lighter, more rigid and have more strength than steel shafts. Some shafts even had boron inside to reduce twisting during the swing.

Two American companies were the pioneers of the golf industry in the United States. Taylor-Made was the first one to make metal club headed woods in their factories. Nevertheless, Callaway introduced the Big Bertha in 1991 and the iconic big club head has help golf to gain more popularity. A lot of people who do not play golf have heard Big Bertha at least once in their life. Other manufacturers have started to produce oversized head for drivers after Callaway did it. Since the beginning of the 2000’s, hybrids clubs became very popular. It is the combination of an iron and a wood, so it drives further than an iron club when you are off the tee box. People like to use it because it allows you to forgive a bad tee shot. However, the hybrid clubs have no angle so they cannot be used for close range shots. The latest trend is about the adjustable driver. This innovation allows the golfer to hit more easily a fade or a draw depending on the golf course landscape and the hole location.

As a recap, the golf clubs were made with wood 200 years ago and they are now made with a mix of metals who are lighter than never. Golfers can ever adjust their drivers while playing to make the best possible drive.