SoHG Equipment Guidelines
Modern Hickory Era Event Guidelines
Updated August 2026
The SoHG approves the following equipment for play in its tournaments and sanctioned events:
1) Antique Wood Shafted Clubs
This category is for equipment whose club heads were made prior to 1935 (PRIOR to Dec. 31, 1934). Antique clubs may be “updated” (restored) for play as follows:
- Club 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.
- Grips original to the club may continue to be used and, in addition, grips salvaged from another original club may be reapplied for use. Also, new replacement grips replicating grips of the pre-1935 era are allowed.
1. This guideline specifically disallows any modern “slip-on” rubber or similar type grip regardless of design of the grip surface.
2. Temporary “wraps” – typical of tennis and hockey – are allowed. They are not considered a proper replacememt for applying a new in-period” replica grip, but are allowed as a temporary aid for gripping the club. It is expected that these wraps be of a color in keeping with colors available in grips pre-1935. - Wood heads may have a metal faceplate (known as an “spring face”) attached over the club head’s existing club face using a material and techniques that are in period. (Note: The “spring face” was an equipment “improvement” offered by several club companies. It was first patented by Currie in 1891 and used by Spalding on its Model-R wood. By 1902, a comany sold a face repair kit with a metal faceplate and two screws.)
- Generally, any repair or restoration that would have been performed during the pre-1935 era will be approved for use.
- Any question about repairs, renovations or restorations can be answered by the Equipment Committee. Robert Ahlschwede is the current Equipment Chair – swedeberger@gmail.com.
2) Replica Wood Shafted Clubs
This equipment category is for clubs that replicate, as close as possible, pre-1935 clubs, without modern improvements in design or playing characteristics and that have been approved by the SoHG Equipment Committee. Should you have any questions about clubs or companies on this list, please contact Rob Ahlschwede, the Equipment Chair with your inquiry.
Please complete the Replica Approval Request Form and submit to Rob Ahlschwede (swedeberger@gmail.com) for approval of REPLICA WOOD SHAFTED CLUBS.
- BTI Company (Kissimmee, FL)
Players Special Edition of RTJ irons – stainless steel
Players Special Edition of Spalding/Wright & Ditson “Special Niblick”
Special Edition RTJ irons – forged steel - Hawes of St. Andrews West (Greely, Ontario, Canada)
Five irons and one wood intended to be an introductory set.
These are close approximations of the Gibson Maxwell clubs. The wood is based on a 1930s Wright & Ditson brassie. Chris Hawes, hawespartners.com - JBL Hickory Golf (Davos, Switzerland)
Nicoll Precision irons – 1 thru 8
Nicoll Gem-style putter - Louisville Golf Co. (Louisville, KY)
Hickory golf clubs offered by Louisville Golf are approved for SoHG play unless it is noted in its catalogs that a particular club is not approved. - St. Andrews Golf Company (St. Andrews, UK)
Hickory golf clubs offered by the St. Andrews Golf Co. are approved for SoHG play unless it is noted in its catalogs that a particular club is not approved. - Tad Moore Hickory Classics (Selma, AL)
Hickory golf clubs offered by Tad Moore are approved for SoHG play unless it is noted in his catalogs that a particular club is not approved.
3) Individual Replicated Clubs
This area is for clubs replicated by individuals not associated with established club making companies. Approved clubs will be listed as they are submitted and approved. Such list will be available and maintained on the SoHG website or may be obtained from the SoHG Equipment Committee.
- Russ Fisher MacGregor World Win Series – driver, 2WD, brassie, 2WB, spoon, 2WS. Each club head and shaft will bear the maker’s mark and the series number.
- Zayden Alexander Fine Putters by Jeremy Wright – 1) the Orion putter replica; 2) Macanudo, replica of an early MacGregor brass putter.
- Jay Harris – Driver and brassie replicating two MacGregor heads, with the “Hickory Nut” logo stamp on the head. Also irons replicating Nicoll’s Precision model and irons replicating the Stewart flanged blades.
- John Gates – The Gates Dunn model putter, available in both traditional length shaft and the long shaft.
- Spalding’s Chicopee Putter – Spalding’s Chicopee and Calamity Jane Putters – the replicas of these two original Spalding putters are both approved. The Calamity Jane has been replicated by two other club companies, and they also are approved.
- Wright & Ditson blade putter – replica made by the Hickory Golf Classics Co., Lenoir, Tenn.
- Yuji Nakamura – replica of the Spalding HB putter, named “Benock HB-1919y.” Produced by BENOCK, Kyoto, Japan
4) Retrofitted Clubs
This category was created for clubs that were made PRIOR to Dec. 31, 1934. Any wood headed club manufactured or designed prior to 1935, regardless of shaft material originally installed at time of manufacture may be retrofitted with a wooden shaft and be permitted for play in SoHG sanctioned events. Players must establish – independently or through the retrofitter or seller of these clubs – that the heads were indeed offered before 1935. No golf club designed and manufactured after Jan. 1, 1935 will be allowed in this category.
No irons (iron headed clubs with steel shafts) have been approved to be retrofitted with a wood shaft for play. It should be noted, however, that during the transition from wood to steel shafts, some irons were shafted with a steel shaft using an adapter in the wood shaped hosel(hosel diameter is the determining factor). Those irons, being manufactured for wood shafts can easily be re-shafted with a wood shaft.
5) List of Approved Equipment Repairs, Renovations & Restorations
The following repairs, renovations, restorations are approved for clubs played in SoHG events:
- Club 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.
- Using currently available finishing and plating technology on clubs that are already approved for play, both original and authentic reproductions, is not deemed to make the clubs non-conforming.
- Grips original to the club may continue to be used and, in addition, grips salvaged from another original club may be reapplied for use. Also, new replacement grips replicating grips of the pre-1935 era are allowed.
1. This guideline specifically disallows any modern “slip-on” rubber or similar type grip regardless of design of the grip surface.
2. Temporary “wraps” – typical of tennis and hockey – are allowed. They are not considered a proper replacement for applying a new in-period” replica grip, but are allowed as a temporary aid for gripping the club. It is expected that these wraps be of a color in keeping with colors available in grips pre-1935. - Wood heads may have a metal faceplate (known as an “spring face”) attached over the club head’s existing club face using a material and techniques that are in period. (Note: The “spring face” was an equipment “improvement” offered by several club companies. It was first patented by Currie in 1891 and used by Spalding on its Model-R wood. By 1902, a company sold a face repair kit with a metal faceplate and two screws.)
Generally, any repair, renovation or restoration that would have been performed during the pre-1935 era will be approved for use.
Any questions concerning repairs, renovations or restorations can be answered by the Equipment Committee. Rob Ahlschwede, Equipment Committee Chair – swedeberger@gmail.com
6) Long-Shafted Putters
As there is no rule forbidding the use of long putters today and there is evidence of the use of long-shafted putters in the past – with and without an anchor point – the SoHG feels there is no need to make a rule or guideline about the use of such a club. The heads of submitted long putters should, of course, meet the SoHG guidelines on shape and size. This guideline does not apply to Gutta-Percha era play, also known as pre-1900 play, where such a club is not allowed.
7) Golf Balls
The following types of balls are approved for SOHG-sanctioned events:
- All USGA-approved golf balls.
- All USGA-approved balls that have been “re-molded” to replicate balls and the surface patterns from the pre-1935 era. That could include bramble, square mesh, line-cut, vintage round, and others not listed.
All balls offered by McIntyre Golf Company and Tad Moore Hickory Classics fit the above category and are approved for play, as well as older versions offered in the past by Play Hickory Inc.
The ball called the “Classic” offered by Brian Schuman has been approved for play in events following SoHG guidelines. The “Classic” is not re-molded, but manufactured with the original ATTI dimple pattern that was developed around 1910.
Individuals who re-mold balls for their own use are reminded to use USGA-approved balls and be prepared to show proof to avoid disqualification in SoHG-sanctioned events.
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.
Approval of Clubs for Play
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; a form is available on the SoHG website that can be used for this purpose. Upon completion of the review process, the committee chairman will respond to and will explain the final decision to the submitting party.
The SoHG Board of Directors and general membership will be apprised of all decisions regarding equipment approval or disapproval. This will happen via the website, the official SoHG publication or the United States Postal Service.
Finally, 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 that fall into one of the preceding categories.
Club Limit for Tournament Play
There will be no limit on the number of clubs a competitor may carry.
Hickory Golf Equipment Q&A
Q. I saw some Peterson aluminum hickory shaft retrofitted woods that were from 1927. Would these be allowed for SoHG events?
A. Those woods were first done with wood shafts and then steel. So they actually meet the old guidelines as well as the more recent modified guidelines on woods. It should also be noted that Tad Moore has made replicas of those woods and has them for sale. Besides the Standard Golf “Mills” clubs, the Peterson brand were among the earliest examples of metal woods.
Q. Recently, I figured out a way to turn old, metal shafted golf clubs from Goodwill into wood shafted golf clubs. The shafts themselves are made out of American white oak. The process gives new life to the clubs and allows me to play golf with a wooden shaft without the risk of breaking a 100-year-old piece of history. I have two questions for SoHG. First, am I the only person to your knowledge to convert metal shafted clubs into wood shafted clubs? Secondly, would one of my clubs be allowed to be played at a SoHG event or any other hickory golf open? I appreciate any help you can provide.
A. The SoHG allows “retro-fitting” of woods that were designed or manufactured before 1935. That year is our official cut-off date to be used in events using SoHG guidelines. We do not, at this time, allow retrofitting of irons or putters.
If the steel shafted woods you are finding and retrofitting fit that date guideline they would be permitted. Note that you must be able to verify those dates when entering an event. Again, no irons or putters. If they did not exist before that date, then no.
It would take a little time but you would benefit from reading the guidelines on the SoHG website, which are pretty clear and understandable on this topic. There is a lot of information on the website that can be of interest. Also, there are links to companies that manufacture authentic replica clubs – woods, irons and putters – as well as new hickory shafts. You will also find sources of gripping material, supplies and more.
It will be interesting to see how your shafts of oak hold up under play. Before hickory wood was used, almost universally, many different woods were tried – ash, greenheart, danga, orange wood (no one now knows what that was), bamboo, and others.
Q. How do I know if I have a 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 manufacture 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 his familiarity of clubs and his expertise.
Q. What happens if the retrofitted club I have in my play set cannot be identified by a catalog and the person I purchased it from does not know its date of origin, will I be able to play with this club?
A. The decision will probably come down to the SoHG Equipment Committee and/or the local tournament director and we suggest you seek advice prior to play. Just send pictures of your club head showing the make, model, club head design to the SoHG Equipment Committee, if you have a questions. Regarding the clubs, you will need to determine an answer to the following two questions:
1) Does the club head have the physical characteristics of pre-1935 clubs that you see in other play sets of other players? Or,
2), does the club head have more unique characteristics of a post-1935 or modern club? If the answer is the latter, you probably will not be able to play in the tournament with that club.
Q. I have an Otey Crisman putter with a hickory shaft, can I use this for approved play?
A. Otey Crisman III shared the following historical information: No Otey Crisman putters were manufactured prior to 1935 and none of the models were designed to replicate earlier pre-1935 putters. As a result, no Otey Crisman putters are allowed for play. They are nice putters, and some people collect them, but they will not be allowed for SoHG-sanctioned tournament play.
Q. What about other putters that have been reproduced to replicate pre-1935 putters, such as 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 replica putter submits it for review, it most likely will be approved for play under our reproduction guidelines.
Q. Can wood shafted putters be long-shafted? Are these approved for play?
A. Yes. Although the USGA has outlawed anchoring the long shafted putter, there was no such rule against using a long shafted putter in the hickory era, thus the SoHG will not make a rule governing the use of the long shafted putter. The heads of submitted long putters should, of course, meet the SoHG guidelines on shape and size. This guideline does not apply to Gutta-Percha era play, also known as pre-1900 play, where such a club is not allowed.
Q. Is it possible to play the Nicoll No-Shok Precision irons in SoHG competitions?
A. The Nicoll No-Shok irons as well as many other irons that were offered with steel shafts by using an adapter so that the steel shaft would fit the wood shaft hosel of existing iron heads. Those irons may be fitted with wood shafts and be approved for SoHG play.
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 or email your questions to: Rob Ahlschwede