I’ve been addicted to new golf equipment ever since I first picked up a club. Maybe it comes from growing up on my dad’s hand-me-downs, or maybe I was simply born with chronic club-envy. Either way, I’ve always assumed the grass is greener on the other side.
But recently I read something that made me stop and reconsider whether “new” really means “better.” A reporter asked Rory McIlroy what his favorite driver of all time was. Without hesitation, he said the TaylorMade M2 from 2016 was an absolute beast. He even admitted he sometimes just stares at it in his garage wishing he could put it back in play.
I imagine there was more than a little hand-wringing in Carlsbad after that one.
I bet some of you looked for a used one like I did
Still, what Rory said resonated with me. Not every new release is going to beat what’s already in my bag. Maybe the constant chase isn’t the point after all. Feeling oddly liberated, I did what any mentally stable golfer would do. I opened eBay and started browsing used clubs.
And that’s when I stumbled onto something that felt paradoxically new… yet unmistakably old. But to explain that part, I need to rewind a bit.
A Chance Encounter
Earlier this year at the 2025 PGA Show, I had the good fortune of meeting Tad Moore, legendary club designer, master putter craftsman, and one of golf’s great storytellers. As Tad walked me through decades of his work and the champions he’d built for, the conversation eventually shifted to his passion for Hickory Golf.
Tad Moore, legendary putter craftsman and Hickory golf connoisseur
For the uninitiated, “Hickory Golf” refers to playing with pre-1935 clubs or modern replicas built from American Hickory using period-accurate methods. Wild, right? Yet there’s an entire global community devoted to it. In fact, thousands of players tee it up in Hickory tournaments every year, from China and Japan to all across Europe, dressed in traditional knickers, long socks, and suspenders. The game is governed by groups like the Society of Hickory Golfers (SoHG) and the European Association of Hickory Golfers (EAGH), each with strict equipment rules to keep the experience authentic.
The Golfers’ by Charles Lees, 1847, oil on canvas, National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburg
History Reborn
Tad’s journey into Hickory goes back to the early 1980s when he began collecting antique clubs. He and a small group of enthusiasts eventually began playing them, having fallen in love with the charm and the challenges of the traditional game. However, they soon faced difficulties in sourcing Hickory clubs that were playable and affordable.
Everything changed on a trip to Scotland in 1989, however, where Tad came across an original Niblick (“sand wedge” in Hickory-speak) made by the legendary club maker, William Gibson. As Tad was mulling over the hefty $400 price tag, one of his friends quipped, “If you can make clubs for the great Seve Ballesteros, you can surely make a Hickory Niblick!”
The idea stuck. And in 2002, Tad Moore revived the art of Hickory club-making in the U.S. for the first time since 1932.
“We get the highest-quality persimmon for our clubheads from Kentucky and our Hickory shafts from the same area of Tennessee where William Gibson sourced his. My goal is to make the finest replica Hickory clubs of the modern era—at an affordable price—using the same traditional methods and materials as the iconic originals.” — Tad Moore, master club designer
HicKoreans?!
After returning to Korea from the PGA Show, I had every intention of following up with Tad about his passion for Hickory golf. I was genuinely curious how these “ancient” clubs would feel, especially since I started the game with an old PowerBilt persimmon driver myself. But, as these things go, life happened and the project slipped to the back burner.
Fast forward to October 2025. While searching online for Rory’s beloved M2, I stumbled across a set of authentic Hickory clubs for sale on eBay. Instantly, Tad’s stories came rushing back. I couldn’t help but wonder if anyone in Korea was actually playing Hickory golf.
An accomplished golf course designer and architect, President Oh is also the winner of 2024 Japan Hickory Classic and 2025 China Hickory International Invitational
To my surprise, the Korea Hickory Golfing Society (KHGS) has been active since 2024, with its members already competing (and winning!) in major Hickory championships in Scotland, China, and most recently at the 2025 Japan Hickory Classic.
After reviewing their webpage and seeing that they welcome newcomers, I contacted them and was soon invited to play in their monthly Hickory golf outing. I was pumped.
Japan Hickory Classic had competitors participating from all over the world
When the day arrived, I was warmly received by the president and members of KHGS. True to form, everyone had Hickory clubs ranging from modern replicas of Tom Stewart irons to authentic putters and drivers. I arrived with a brand new set of Tad Moore Victory irons and a spoon, and the chairman was kind enough to trust me with a driver and putter that were more than a hundred years old.
Despite their intimidating appearance, Hickory clubs are enjoyable and effective
Prior to the round, I only practiced with the Hickory clubs for about two weeks on golf simulators. The irons felt amazing when struck on the center, and I saw little difference in distance. The spoon 3-wood was a different matter with the head size being much smaller than I was used to.
On the course, the clubs were an absolute delight. Despite the butter knife appearance (makes Rickie’s Cobra Rev33s look chunky!), the irons felt even better off the turf and traveled just as far as my gamer clubs. My swing is on the smoother, swinger-type side, and the Hickory clubs seemed to work really well with my swing tempo. I still had some trouble getting the ball up in the air with the spoon, but it worked great off the tee. And the feeling of persimmon on Hickory? Pure bliss. It took me back to the days when I first got my dad’s driver and fell in love with the game.
Beautiful fall weather and good company only added to the nostalgic atmosphere
Most of all, I was surprised at how quickly and easily I adapted to these clubs. I was using only five Hickory irons, equal to modern 5, 7, 9, AW and SW. This forced me to be much more creative in planning my shots and gauging distance into the greens. Normally, I may have been frustrated with not having the “right” club for a certain distance. On this day, however, I found myself enjoying the whole process of club selection and adjusting for distance. And seeing the shot fly the perfect distance as planned was exhilarating and more rewarding than I could have imagined.
Then, it happened sometime during the back nine. As I looked down at the sliver of a putter that had survived twice my lifetime, something stirred deep within me that no new Scotty has ever reached. Like being reunited with a long-lost friend, I connected with a part of me that first fell in love with the game so many years ago. Is this what the early pioneers of golf felt hundreds of years ago? Only then, did I begin to understand what Hickory golf truly is.
It was the most enjoyable 92 I ever scored on a golf course
So, did Hickory golf cure me of chasing the new golf clubs and equipment? Well, yes and no. The experience helped me open my eyes to the pure joy (and the humility) that was golf, and golf alone. Sadly, it also awakened an interest in Hickory clubs. I am now in search of a driver and putter that will complete my own Hickory set, along with a classic golf bag that will complement them. What frightens me is that I’m sure those won’t be my last purchases. Thanks a bunch, Tad. And THANK YOU for introducing me to golf as it should be.
The newest HicKorean! I need to get me a hunting cap ASAP
If you ever have the chance to try Hickory golf, I beg you to do it. If you’ve somehow become less enamored of golf, I encourage you to play a round with only half (play with only odd-numbered irons) of your clubs. I know golf is already hard and humbling enough, but the challenge may be just what you need to rekindle the romance for this beautiful game.
And who knows? Maybe we’ll run into each other one day on a Scottish links, dressed in the proper gentleman attire—letting the wind, the turf, and a hickory shaft remind us what golf is supposed to feel like.
I can’t wait.
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