How do I choose the best vintage golf clubs for sale?
Many vintage clubs are also available in right-handed and left-handed varieties. Both irons and woods can usually be found among the vintage golf clubs for sale on eBay, and there are also putters and wedges. Before buying old golf clubs, it can be helpful to check their condition by examining pictures of the clubs if they are available.
What are vintage golf clubs made of?
Vintage Golf Clubs. In those days, the heads of Douglas McEwan golf clubs (also sold as D. McEwan & Son) were made of beech while the shafts were fashioned from hickory, a wood whose elasticity allowed for the maximization of torque in a swing. Prior to that, most club heads were made of thorn wood or fruitwood and were fixed to ash shafts.
How do you date antique wood golf clubs?
The Markings or Stamps - If there is a marking or shop stamp, an Antique Golf Club Reference Guide could be used to date the club fairly precisely. Often, this can be the most reliable way to date and value antique wood golf clubs. Keep in mind that the numbering system introduce in the 20's can help with this as well.
How to make golf clubs look newer?
If you are trying to make the clubs look newer, there can be several strategies for removing the rust that has built up. This can be a good place to start for most clubs. With a simple mixture of soap and water, you do not need to worry about damaging the club. After a brief soak, use a small brush like a toothbrush to try and remove any rust.
What wood are old golf clubs made of?
Beech and ash were commonly used to make golf clubs in the game's early days. Starting as early as the 15th century, golfers carved their own clubs.
Is it cheaper to build your own golf clubs?
The fact is, you can make clubs that fit you perfectly and cost far less than you will pay for clubs off the rack. By following some simple steps and making your own clubs, you'll soon be shooting lower scores than you ever imagined.
What are vintage golf clubs made of?
These golf clubs were made up of wood with the shafts being made from ash or hazel and the club heads being made from tougher wood like apple, holly, beech or pear. The club head would be connected to the shaft with a splint and then bound with a leather strap.
What can you make out of old golf clubs?
Here are seven ideas on how to re-use and upcycle old clubs, balls, tees, and more.#1. Donate.#2. Classy Coat Hooks.#3. Golf Club Fence. ... #4. Golf Bag Garden Tools Tote. ... #5. Golf Ball Pot Drainage. ... #6. Relieve Sore Feet. ... #7. Christmas Ornaments.
How do you make golf clubs from scratch?
0:3724:05BUILDING MY NEW IRONS FROM SCRATCH... AT HOME!? - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo to do that we have a pipe cutter you can get these from any kind of DIY shop. I actually stoleMoreSo to do that we have a pipe cutter you can get these from any kind of DIY shop. I actually stole this from the Pro Shop at work.
How far should you hit a 7 iron?
Average 7 Iron Distances are following: Beginning golfers- 100 yards (men) or 60 yards (women) Intermediate golfers- 135 yards (men) and 75 yards (women) Advanced golfers- 165 yards (men) or 140 yards (women)
Are 60 year old golf clubs worth anything?
Many clubs produced as recently as the 1950s and '60s are considered "classics." Some are worth $1,000 a set, and the right kind of sand wedge can bring $500 or more all by itself.
How do you make wooden golf clubs?
2:534:39How It's Made - Wooden Golf Clubs 2015 - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipWith a drill they bore a hole in the neck of the golf club head they slide a glue coated metalMoreWith a drill they bore a hole in the neck of the golf club head they slide a glue coated metal sleeve into that hole. Then they taper the neck with a sanding belt.
When did they stop making wooden golf clubs?
Wooden heads predominated until the late 1980s. They had evolved to include a metal sole and a metal or plastic faceplate. These wooden headed clubs were dense and heavy, and were generally much smaller than today's clubheads.
What can you do with old clubs?
What to do With Old Golf Clubs? (7+ Old Golf Club Ideas)Sell old golf clubs to a golf-specific retailer like Golf Galaxy or 2nd Swing Golf.Sell them to a sports-specific retailer like Play it Again Sports.Donate old golf clubs to organizations, golf courses, or instructional facilities.More items...•
What metal are golf clubs made of?
Golf clubs have been improved and the shafts are now made of steel, titanium, other types of metals or carbon fiber. The shaft is a tapered steel tube or a series of stepped steel tubes in telescopic fashion. This has improved the accuracy of golfers. The grips of the clubs are made from leather or rubber.
How do you decorate old golf clubs?
How to Display Old Golf Clubs (9 Ways)Golf Club Wall Rack. A golf club wall rack is a very common way to display your golf clubs on the wall. ... Golf Club Floor Rack. ... Corner Golf Club Holder. ... Golf Club X Hanger. ... Staff Bag. ... Vintage Golf Bag. ... Fan Display. ... Shadow Box Display.More items...
Vintage Golf Clubs Value: A Short Guide
It’s fun to have an old set of collectible golf clubs that you can take out and play with occasionally. It’s obvious that a lot of golfers in the golf community are always looking to buy new golf gear. Why not, newer golf clubs are often equipped with new technology, some of which can be game changing.
What Are The Most Valuable Vintage Golf Clubs?
The key to the value of vintage golf clubs is the supply and demand. Certain models are highly sought after, so they may be more expensive than others. They’re not only valuable but are also playable. And the right collector will drop a decent price for a club that’s in decent condition with all the right features.
How to Identify Valuable Antique Golf Putters
When looking at antique putters, you have to look at the history, rarity, and the person who made the putter.
Timeline on Vintage Golf Equipment
Vintage golf equipment are those clubs invented around the 15th century by primitive methods having handmade, custom/unique, and even unusual qualities. These often lack the sophistication of the modern clubs, coming from the Scottish Shepherds up to the 17th century. Most of these are mostly out of reach.
Frequently Asked Questions: Antiques
Why many older sets of clubs can be worth just a few dollars, others can be worth in the thousands. There are many features that can drum up the value of golf club memorabilia. Golf clubs closer to the 20th century, from a reputable club maker, and in good condition can easily be worth more than a few thousand dollars.
What wood was used to make golf clubs?
Beech and ash were commonly used to make golf clubs in the game's early days. Starting as early as the 15th century, golfers carved their own clubs. Several considerations -- including imported woods and the evolution of the golf ball -- influenced what types of wood were used to make club heads and shafts. Wooden antique golf clubs are popular ...
What clubs do hickory golfers use?
"Hickory golf," where golfers use hickory-shafted clubs, is popular with many golfers. Ralph Livingston III recommends on his website, HickoryGolf.com, that hickory golfers assemble the following clubs: brassie, mid-iron, mashie, mashie niblick, niblick and putter. Some companies make modern clubs that have persimmon wood heads, and some companies sell and make clubs with wood shafts, wood heads, or both.
How many woods are in a long nose golf club?
A set of these early "Troon Clubs" -- also known as "long noses" -- consisted of six woods and two irons. According to the Oracle ThinkQuest Education Foundation website, golf balls were also made of wood until the 17th or early 18th century.
When were steel shafts used in golf clubs?
In the 1910s and ’20s, steel shafts were used in clubs, which gave all clubs in a set a consistent feel. In 1926, steel-shafted clubs were cleared for tournament play by the United States Golf Association.
What is an engraving on a golf club?
Clubs were normally affixed with an engraving bearing the maker’s name. Today, these engravings help collectors identify these early clubs. In addition to the woods, players also carried one iron, which helped golfers chip the ball out of tall grass or other trouble—courses weren’t nearly as groomed as they are today.
What wood is used in Douglas McEwan golf clubs?
This is also when some standardization of clubs began. In those days, the heads of Douglas McEwan golf clubs (also sold as D. McEwan & Son) were made of beech while the shafts were fashioned from hickory, a wood whose elasticity allowed for the maximization of torque in a swing.
What was the most common club used by golfers?
As irons became more popular, machines took over manufacturing. In fact, the ability to mass produce irons helped shaped the game. Before long, irons completely took over as the most prevalent club used by golfers. Most irons bore the stamp of their manufacturer, and a rare few were chrome-plated.
What is a fairway wood called?
The equivalent of today’s driver was the play club, which was used from the tee box. Fairway woods were called “spoons” and were designed to produce different lofts so a ball would travel varying distances. Most players packed three spoons in their bags. McEwan was only one of numerous Scottish clubs manufacturers.
What was the greatest golf innovation of the postwar decades?
But the greatest golf innovation of the postwar decades was probably the metal wood, which was introduced in the 1970s by Gary Adams, founder of TaylorMade. Metal woods are the only woods you see today, and makers have experimented with different metals such as titanium to make clubs lighter and more forgiving.
How many long nose woods are there in golf?
Long-nose woods gave players a lot of control, and since this was the era of feather balls, controlling shots was paramount. Golfers would carry about five of these long-nose woods, one being the putter, during a typical round of golf.
What were golf clubs made of before the turn of the 20th century?
Before that time, shafts were made of hickory, all iron heads were forged steel and woods were hand-carved from a single piece of persimmon. Clubs from before the turn of the 20th century can be worth quite a bit, presuming they were made by a prominent club maker and are in good condition.
How long has golf been around?
Some historians say the game of golf has been around for more than 500 years. Clubs and other equipment can be dated back to different eras throughout that time. To find clubs with significant value, you need to look back, definitely before World War II and probably before 1930, the year steel shafts and matched sets became common in golf club manufacturing. Before that time, shafts were made of hickory, all iron heads were forged steel and woods were hand-carved from a single piece of persimmon.
How much did a rake iron sell for in 1989?
One such iron, a rake iron designed to hit balls out of mud and water, was estimated to go for less than $300 at auction. It sold in 1989 for almost $80,000. Prices like these, while unusual, do happen now and again. Values in the vintage club market fluctuate wildly based on many factors.
Is collecting golf clubs a hobby?
Collecting antique clubs can be a fun and educational hobby. Having a collection of classic or antique golf clubs is not an unusual hobby. Developing a valuable collection, on the other hand, is a very different commitment. Like wine or antiques, classic and vintage golf clubs can appreciate in value over time.
When was the Hogan 1 iron first used?
A famous story first rose to the surface in the mid 1980s. A man in Texas purchased an old Hogan 1-iron out of a bargain bin. When he noticed the dime-sized wear mark on the sweet spot, he started to wonder if this could be the famous 1-iron used by Ben Hogan himself to force a playoff in the 1950 U.S. Open at Merion.
Is it a hobby to collect golf clubs?
Having a collection of classic or antique golf clubs is not an unusual hobby. Developing a valuable collection, on the other hand, is a very different commitment. Like wine or antiques, classic and vintage golf clubs can appreciate in value over time. Not every club appreciates or appreciates in the same way, however.
When did golf clubs have grooves?
The grooved marking of faces on antique iron clubs was not introduced until the first few years of the 20th century. While this will not rank as an exact method of dating an old golf club, a smooth face would certainly indicate that it is a club that dates prior to 1905. The Metal Club Head - Simple test.
What are golf club heads made of?
Most wooden golf club heads are made from persimmon wood which was considered the highest-quality golf club heads for those clubs referred to as "woods". Persimmon woods are still made, but in far lower numbers than in past. The wood shafts are made of hickory for it's strong and yet elastic flex and feel, and they are generally tapered ...
What are golf shafts made of?
The wood shafts are made of hickory for it's strong and yet elastic flex and feel, and they are generally tapered to be a smaller diameter at the head and larger at the grip. The handle end of the shafts are larger so that you could apply one layer of friction tape and a user desired leather grip to create a standard grip for use by most golfer.
What are the grips on a golf club?
The grips are usually real leather strips, cut and wrapped around the handle end of the club. These grips are held on with two sided friction tape, tacks and waxed linen thread that is used to transition to the wood, just as on the irons.
What is the wood shaft test?
The Wooden Shaft Test - Whether or not the shaft is made of wood is a primary indicator of age. Steel-shafted golf clubs were introduced in the 1920's about the same time that some club makers started using the current numbering system to identify different clubs instead of the old creative names. Some of these clubs had metal shafts ...
What are putters made of?
What Age Characteristics To Look For On The Putter. Putters are mostly found with a blade style head. They are usually made of forged steel and have a great feel when struck properly in the sweet spot.
What are iron heads made of?
On the irons you will notice that the iron heads are made of forged steel, with an old look and feel. Like the woods, the iron heads may be stamped with the name of the maker or the professional’s name and the golf course he was associated with. The iron heads will also be stamped with one of the old colorful names that are common ...
What to put on golf clubs to prevent rusting?
Wax. This may sound strange but a thin coat of wax on a golf club can prevent it from rusting. Wax is obviously slippery, which makes it unwise to put on places where you want friction, like a wedge face. However, it is very helpful in protecting the finish on shafts and golf heads.
How to clean rust off golf clubs?
A quick soak can easily loosen surface rust and allow your club to be cleaned using a brush.
Can steel wool be used on golf clubs?
Steel wool and wire brushes can be helpful in removing surface rust. However, used improperly these products can damage the surface of a golf club. Be sure to use a wire brush made of a material less strong than the material of your club. Likewise, starting off with ultra-fine steel wool will ensure you do not scratch or damage your clubs.
Does rust on a golf wedge increase spin?
Made famous by Cobra’s Trusty Rusty wedges, rust can actually increase the friction on the surface of a wedge and increase spin. If you are trying to make the clubs look newer, there can be several strategies for removing the rust that has built up.
