The Virginia Hickory Golf Association was formed in 2012 with the mission to enjoy and promote hickory golf. We seek to “encourage and support” hickory and gutty golf. “Hickory golf” refers to the Golden Age of Golf, 1900-1935, that included such great players as Harry Vardon, Francis Ouimet, Walter Hagen and Bobby Jones. Together, we enjoy playing vintage clubs in period dress.
Hickory golf’s father, “gutty golf,” refers to the pre-1900 period in which the game was played with balls (see history of golf balls) made from the gutta percha packing material used in shipping chinaware, irons with smooth faces, and woods that looked like hockey sticks. There were many great players in that era too including Old Tom Morris, Young Tom Morris, James Braid, Willy Park, J.H Taylor and many more.
Hickory golf is an endlessly rewarding hobby that includes finding clubs from among the millions made (often on-line at e.g. eBay), trading with others after a day of playing (often while sharing an adult beverage), tinkering with them by adding weight, bending, re-pinning, re-gripping, changing flex, refinishing heads, making head covers, and more. One step at a time, if you love golf, hickory golf will pull you in. And the people who play are generally upbeat, happy, avid, eager, friendly folks. A hickory round with friends, new and old, is a great way to spend a day outdoors. See the Events page for local options in Virginia and the SOHG site or national events. There’s something going on every month somewhere! We hope to see you soon at one of our VAHGA events!
Harry Vardon
The Captain’s Corner
Read a message from the Captain of the Virginia Hickory Golf Association, Rob Gilbert.