Newly Revised Tournament Guidelines

We have recently added a new page for those interested in Tournament Guidelines for a Hickory Golf Tournament

Equipment Approval Request Form

From Mike Brown To All SoHG Members

Fellow SoHG Members;
Now available is an equipment approval document, download the attached file and fill it out if you have a club that currently does not fall into our approved club guidelines. The SoHG Equipment Committee will review, in a timely manner, any club or club renovation submitted for approval to be used in Hickory Tournament play. Requests for equipment approval should be made through the chairman of the Equipment Committee. Upon completion of the review process the committee chairman will respond to the submitting party and will explain the decision to that person or company. The SoHG Board of Directors and general membership will also be apprised of all decisions regarding equipment approval or disapproval. This will happen via the website, the SoHG publication or the United States Postal Service.(Full Document)

4/2010 Replica Clubs Approved For Play

From Ken Holtz, Doug Marshall, Rob Ahlschwede To All SoHG Members

Fellow SoHG Members

Replica wooden headed and hickory shafted clubs by Russ Fisher, labeled 2W Series are now approved for play by the Society of Hickory Golfers. The three types of clubs approved include: Driver 2WD, Brassie 2WB, Spoon 2WS. Each club is hand crafted and made to replicate the MacGregor World Win series of clubs that were produced with hickory shafts from 1919 to 1921. Each club head and shaft will bear the makers mark and series number.

Septemeber 12 Equipment Approval Updates

From Mike Brown To All SoHG Members

Fellow SoHG Members;

The Equipment Committee is hoping that we can provide you with updates on equipment issues that arise from time to time. The 2009 season is beginning to wind down a bit and we wanted to share some information on a couple items. I have had more than one person inquire as to the authenticity of hickory shafted Bobby Jones woods. There were a couple of these woods at the GCS show in Dayton this past January and a couple just exchanged hands in the past few days. The buyer of these Jones Woods from the past few days emailed me and asked if I could provide any information about these clubs. Since the Dayton GCS show this same topic has come up a couple other times so I wanted to put this equipment blurb on our website....(Full Document)

Discussion of Pre 1935 Retrofitted Clubs

As Discussed By the SoHG Equipment Committee

The SoHG Executive Committee routinely receives equipment queries, many of these of late involving ‘retrofitted’ clubs. Our purpose here is to share information and background on this important aspect of our guidelines, and comment on other related equipment questions, with an eye on the wider implications for hickory golf as a whole. To review: this ‘retrofitted club’ category was approved for golf woods, and ONLY golf woods, when offered for sale in both wooden and steel shafts, manufactured PRIOR to January 1, 1935. No iron-headed clubs retrofitted from steel to wooden shafts are permitted. As many of you know, considerable debate and discussion preceded this outcome. The information below outlines the committee’s reasoning in hopes of clarifying what was, admittedly, an extremely difficult decision... (Full Document)

Club Questions and Answers

Retrofit Questions:

Q: How do I know if I have retrofitted wood in my play set?

A: Woods that have been retrofitted from steel shafts to hickory shafts often have a small screw hole, near the back of the head on the hosel. And the neck or hosels are often narrower than comparable original hickory clubs. Also, many of the clubs retrofitted for play bear the retrofitters mark or name on the shaft that they have installed.

Q: How do I know that the retrofitted wood in my play set is pre-1935 and approved for play?

A: Many wooden head clubs have a patent or manufactures date stamped into their sole plates, or in the wood itself. There are also collector catalogs for Wilson, Spalding, Wright & Ditson, etc., that show wooden head clubs that were offered in both steel and hickory shafts prior to 1935, that can be used as a reference. Also, the person who sold you the club or did the retrofitting should have a keen awareness of its date of origin based upon their familiarity of clubs and their expertise.

For the full list of Retrofit Questions see the Full Document.

Reproduction Questions:

Q: If we allow play with reproduction clubs why does it matter if my retrofitted club was made after 1935. After all the reproduction club was made after 1935?

A: The reproduction clubs that have been approved for play, were first submitted to the equipment committee for review. They had to show that the clubs being reproduced were modeled after and reproduced to replicate, hickory clubs made prior to 1935. For Example: Mike Just has made irons modeled directly from Tom Stewart clubs and woods modeled after MacGregor clubs and Tad Moore has made irons modeled directly after MacGregor and Spalding clubs and woods modeled directly after Macgregor and Tom Morris clubs. Note: we have received other reproduction hickory shaft clubs that have not been approved, since they cannot demonstrate this comparison to pre-1935 clubs.

For a full list of Repoduction Questions see the Full Document.

Other Questions:

Q: I have an Otey Crisman putter with a hickory shaft, can I use this for approved play?

A: Recently we talked with Otey Crisman III, and he shared the following historical information. No Otey Crisman putter were manufactured prior to 1935 and none of the models were designed to replicate earlier pre 1935 putters. As a result, all Otey Crisman putters are not allowed for play. They are nice putters, and some people collect them, but they will not be allowed for approved play.

Q: What about other putters that have been reproduced to replicate earlier pre 1935 putters, like the Spalding Chicapee or the Calamity Jane?

A: If the reproduced putter is modeled after a hickory putter made pre-1935 and the person playing the repro putter, submits it for review, it most likely will be approved for play under our reproduction guidelines.

If you have questions about hickory clubs for approved hickory play, please feel welcome to submit your questions, to the Society of Hickory Golf Equipment Committee. www.hickorygolfers.com Or email questions to Bob Georgiade. Full Document.

Pre 1935 Equipment Guidelines

These equipment guidelines were developed by balancing inputs from SoHG members, other hickory players and the original intentions of the Society’s founders. The purpose in developing these guidelines is to establish standard benchmarks for equipment that is most appropriate and best represents the interests of hickory golf and the playing community. We recognize that even with the best intentions there may still arise issues of uncertainty and disagreements with respect to the acquisition, performance and enhancement of wood-shafted clubs many decades old.(Full Document)

Pre 1900 Equipment Guidelines

Dear Members,
The SoHG Executive Committee routinely receives equipment queries, many of these of late involving ‘retrofitted’ clubs. Our purpose here is to share information and background on this important aspect of our guidelines, and comment on other related equipment questions, with an eye on the wider implications for hickory golf as a whole. To review: this ‘retrofitted club’ category was approved for golf woods, and ONLY golf woods, when offered for sale in both wooden and steel shafts, manufactured PRIOR to January 1, 1935. No iron-headed clubs retrofitted from steel to wooden shafts are permitted. (Full Document)

SoHG Approved Club Renovations

The Following clubs and balls have been approved for SoHG sanctioned events:

1. Antique Hickory Shafted Clubs; this category is for equipment whose club heads were made prior to 1935. Antique clubs may be renovated for play using the following:
• New Leather wrap-on grips of period style.
• Clube heads may be reattached with modern glues.
• Wood heads may have an insert installed into the club face using a technique that is in period.
• Clubs may be re-shafted with period or new shafts.
• Clubs may have weight added.
• Woods heads may have a metal faceplat attached 'onto' the club heads existing club face using a material and techniques that are in period. This will be referred to as an outsert.
2. Modern Reproduction Hickory Shafted Clubs; this category is for equipment made to replicate, as nearly as possible, clubs that were made prior to 1935. Clubs that are currently approved in this category are:
• Tad Moore Hickory Classics
• Tad Moore Model
• Tom Morris Model
• Tad Moore 'The Victor' Model Irons
• Tad Moore 'Klaymor' Model Woods
• Tad Moore 'Reproduction' Hickory Shafted Putters
• Tad Moore 'Mills' Reproduction Clubs
• Lousiville Golf Co.
• Hickory Woods
• HB Hickory Putter
• Mid Iron, Mashie, Mashie Niblick, Spade Mashie and Niblick
• Hickory Shafted Putters
3. Retro Fitted Clubs; Clubs that are currently approved in this category are:
   • Pre-1935 wooden club heads offered in their time period with BOTH steel and hickory shafts and have been fitted with period or new hickory shafts.
4. Golf Balls; The following types of balls are approved for SOHG Sanctioned events:
• All USGA Approved Golf Balls
• Balls remanufactured, molded, remolded and/or reproduced to provide a hickory era surface design pattern
• Examples include mesh balls from Play Hickory Inc. and Tad Moore Hickory Classics.

Clubs and balls that fall outside the above mentioned criteria are not approved for tournament play by the SoHG and are discouraged from being used. Members of the SoHG should verify that their guests, or potential new members be equipped with clubs and balls that fall into one of the preceding categories.
(Full Document Here)