Vintage Golf Equipment

Vintage Golf Equipment

While golfing enthusiasts are usually purchasing modern golf equipment and gear, some are searching for vintage golf equipment to have as collector’s items. Golf likely started around the 15th century with the first Open Championship being in 1860. The vintage golf club and vintage golf balls you can find today are from the 17th century at earliest. Clubs from the 17th century are usually in museum displays and 18th and 19th century clubs are in private collections with a high value.

In today’s market, vintage golf equipment is not as valuable as it once was due to supply and demand. When it comes to collectible items, around fewer than 5% of vintage clubs have any collectible value. The majority of vintage golf clubs you can find online or in garage sales are common clubs. Resources are available to help you determine if a club has any value or not.

Sports manufacturing companies mass produced golf clubs during the early to mid-nineties and these are worth little in the market today. Common golf clubs are identifiable by yard range stamps, nickel, chromed or stainless steel heads, handles with aluminium caps and other traits. Common clubs are of no interest to serious collectors and are only interested in hard to find and rare clubs.

Rare golf clubs came out in small quantities with uncommon features or patents. Some features found in these clubs include unusual face markings or no face markings, unique wood heads and head shapes and deep groove wood shafts. Rare and hard to find golf clubs will have a higher value than common clubs.

Hickory golf is a version of golf that you play with hickory-shafted golf clubs and is popular in different parts of the word. There are two divisions: the pre-1900 division plays with a Gutta-Percha ball and uses clubs from before 1900. The pre-1935 division uses modern balls but clubs from before 1935. The big attraction about playing with hickory clubs is you can have a more authentic experience and play classic golf courses like people once played them.