Hickory term

  • Hickory: A walnut wood that is tough, hard and strong. It was used as a shaft in golf clubs until the advent of steel shafts, but today it is still used for bow and arrow shafts, axe handles, tool handles, ski covers, drum sticks, as smoke/flavor chips for grilling, etc...
  • Plusfours: knee breeches, also carelessly called knickers.
  • Kolf club: club used in the Dutch game of kolf. Wooden shaft and iron or lead head.
  • Feather ball sk. Feathery ball: the type of ball used longest in the history of golf. Used until after the mid-19th century. Made from three flaps of tanned cow or horse skin. The flaps were sewn together and filled with feathers. A skilled maker could make 4 balls in a day, making one ball cost more than a club.
  • Longnose: The earliest wooden clubs (used until the second half of the 19th century) are called longnose woods because of the "longnose" shape of the club head.
  • Driver: (Wood 1)
  • Brassie: (Wood 2)
  • Spoon: (Wood 3-5)
  • Bulldog: Loft like a wooden 5 - wooden 7. The clubhead is of a more round, "bulbous" shape. A very nice carrying club for longer fairway shots.
  • Cleek, 1 iron: The longest irons, lofted like iron 1-2
  • Midiron, 2 iron, mashie iron: (Iron 3-4)
  • Jigger: A club often used for low shots to the green, preferably from a little further away when you needed to keep the ball low in the wind. Very nice to chip with too.
  • 3 iron, 4 iron: (Iron 5-6)
  • Mashie: (Iron 6-7)
  • Spade mashie: (Iron 8 )
  • Mashie niblick: (Iron 9)
  • Niblick: (Wedge)
  • Ceilings: an early version of the more modern mashie.
  • Haggis: Scottish national dish made from liver, intestines, oatmeal, onions and spices.
  • Willie Park Sr: One of the pioneers of professional golf. Born in Musselburgh. Four wins in The Open Championship, including the first played in 1860 at Prestwick.
  • Willie Park Jr: Like his father, a professional golfer. Two wins in The Open Championship. Known for his magic putting.
  • Old Tom Morris: Professional golfer, club maker, ball maker and Keeper of the green from St Andrews. Finished second in the first The Open Championship in 1860 to Willie Park Sr. He won the following year. Four wins in The Open in total. He also designed Carnoustie, Muirfield and Prestwick to name but a few of the 60 or so courses Old Tom laid out. Hole 18 at St Andrews Old Course, for example, bears his name.
  • Young Tom Morris: Professional golfer who won four of the first eight The Open Championship. Sadly died at the age of 24.

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