The modern golf bag, with its titanium driver, adjustable hosels, hybrids and perimeter-weighted irons, would be unrecognisable to the golfers who first played the game. Over several centuries, clubs have changed from hand-carved wooden tools to precision-engineered equipment. Each change, from new balls to new materials, has changed how the game is played, and continues to shape the rules today. Here is a short history of the golf club.
Early clubs: wood and craftsmanship
The earliest golf clubs were made by hand by bow makers, carpenters and, later, specialist clubmakers. The heads were carved from hardwoods such as beech, apple or pear, and the shafts from ash and, later, hickory. Clubs were long and slender, with shallow faces, designed to sweep the soft, feather-stuffed balls of the time ("featheries") along the ground and through the air.
Iron-headed clubs existed but were rarely used, because they could easily damage the expensive feather balls. They were mainly used for getting out of ruts, tracks and difficult lies.
The gutta-percha revolution
In the mid-1800s, the gutta-percha ball (the "gutty") arrived. Made from the dried sap of a tropical tree, it was cheaper and much more durable than the feathery. It was also harder, which made iron clubs practical. Clubmakers began producing more iron-headed clubs, made by blacksmiths, and wooden heads became shorter and sturdier.
Golfers discovered that a gutty with nicks and scratches flew better than a smooth new one, which eventually led to the dimpled ball. Read golf ball spin explained.
Named clubs
Before numbered sets, clubs had names. A golfer's bag might include:
| Historic name | Rough modern equivalent |
|---|---|
| Play club or driver | Driver |
| Brassie | 2-wood |
| Spoon | 3-wood or 4-wood |
| Cleek | 1- or 2-iron, or a long iron |
| Mid-mashie | 3-iron |
| Mashie | 5-iron |
| Mashie niblick | 7-iron |
| Niblick | 9-iron or wedge |
Collectors still seek out these old clubs. Read golf collectibles and antique clubs.
The rubber-core ball
Around the start of the 20th century, the rubber-core ball, with rubber thread wound around a solid core and a hard cover, replaced the gutty. It flew further and was more lively, and club design evolved again, with deeper faces and grooved iron faces to control spin. Persimmon became the favourite wood for club heads and remained so for most of the century.
Steel shafts and matched sets
Hickory shafts varied a great deal, and golfers had to find clubs that matched by feel. In the 1920s, steel shafts were approved, first in the USA and then elsewhere. Steel was consistent and durable, and allowed manufacturers to make matched, numbered sets of clubs, with progressive lofts and lengths.
In the 1930s, golfers began carrying huge numbers of clubs, so the governing bodies introduced a 14-club limit, still in force today. Read golf rules every golfer should know.
The sand wedge, with its wide, angled sole (bounce), also appeared in the 1930s and transformed bunker play. Read golf wedges guide: loft and bounce.
The forgiveness era
Cavity-back irons
For centuries, irons were forged "blades", with the weight concentrated behind the centre. From the 1960s and 1970s, investment casting allowed makers to move weight to the perimeter of the head, creating cavity-back irons that were much more forgiving on off-centre hits. Read game improvement vs players' irons.
Graphite shafts
Graphite (carbon-fibre) shafts appeared in the 1970s. Lighter than steel, they eventually became standard in drivers and woods and popular in irons for golfers who want more speed. Read the golf shaft flex guide.
Metal woods
Steel-headed "metal woods" appeared in the late 1970s and replaced persimmon during the 1980s. They were more durable, more forgiving and launched the ball higher.
Titanium drivers
In the 1990s, titanium allowed driver heads to grow much larger without becoming heavier, increasing forgiveness and the size of the sweet spot. Heads grew from under 200cc to the 460cc limit now set by the rules. Read how to choose a driver.
Hybrids
In the early 2000s, hybrids combined the forgiveness of a wood with the length of an iron, and replaced long irons in many bags. Read hybrid golf clubs explained.
Putters
Putters evolved from simple blades to heel-toe weighted designs, mallets and high-MOI shapes, with face inserts and alignment aids. Read how to choose a putter.
The modern era
- Adjustability: hosels and movable weights let golfers change loft, lie and ball flight.
- Computer-aided design and testing with launch monitors.
- Custom fitting is widely available. Read custom golf club fitting.
- Multi-material heads, combining titanium, carbon composites and tungsten weights.
How the rules responded
As technology increased distance and forgiveness, the governing bodies introduced limits:
- Club head size for drivers, with a maximum of 460cc.
- Face springiness (the "trampoline effect").
- Club length, with a maximum of 48 inches for clubs other than putters, and a lower limit available for elite competitions.
- Grooves, with tighter rules on groove shape to reduce spin from the rough.
- Anchoring the club against the body when making a stroke is no longer allowed.
- Golf balls must meet limits on size, weight and distance, and a change to the ball testing standard has been announced for the coming years.
Read conforming golf equipment and the rules.
Frequently asked questions
What were the first golf clubs made of?
Wooden heads, usually of hardwoods such as beech, apple or pear, with ash or hickory shafts.
When did golf clubs get numbers?
Matched, numbered sets became common after steel shafts were approved in the 1920s and 1930s.
Why are woods still called woods?
Because driver and fairway woods had wooden heads for centuries. The name remained when metal heads replaced persimmon.
Why is there a 14-club limit?
It was introduced in the 1930s to stop golfers carrying huge numbers of clubs and to keep skill in shot-making.
The bottom line
Golf clubs have travelled a long way, from hand-carved wood and hickory to titanium and carbon. Each innovation, driven by new balls, new materials and new manufacturing methods, has made the game easier and more enjoyable for everyday golfers, while the rules try to keep the skill at its heart. For more golf history, read the history of golf.