The earliest known golf clubs used were called Play Clubs, Spoons and Putters. They were called long nosed clubs, were generally made of wood and had longer, more slender heads than a modern day club. Iron clubs were more difficult to use. They also damaged the more delicate feather balls that were used.

When the gutty ball came into use in the middle of the 1800s, golf clubs had to change. The new ball was much harder than the feathery so club heads and shafts had to be made stronger. Club heads began to look much more like a modern day club. Iron clubs were used by more golfers. They were made by Cleek makers - a cleek is a kind of iron golf club. Cleek makers marked their club heads with symbols so that people knew who had made them. Many different varieties of club were made and they were all given different names like brassie, niblick and mashie. Many companies designed unusual golf clubs which were meant to help golfers play better.

Early golf club heads and club shafts were made of wood. One of the most common woods used was hickory.

One of the most important developments in golf club design has been the use of steel for the club shafts. Steel shafts are stronger than the wooden shafts meaning players can hit the ball further without damaging the club or the ball. The R&A decided that steel shafted golf clubs were acceptable for use in 1929.

Nowadays, the basic shape of club heads remains virtually unchanged. The materials used have changed, however. Club shafts for example, are now more commonly made of graphite or titanium.

Things to think about:

Why not try to design your own cleek mark? Why do you think golf clubs had wooden shafts? What differences do you think there are between wooden clubs and those made of steel or aluminium? Can you find any pictures showing the different kinds of golf clubs that have been used over the years?