Considering the game has been around for centuries, it’s no surprise that golf is a very different-looking and different-feeling game from the game it was hundreds of years ago.
As new technologies emerged over the years, golf manufacturers and technicians everywhere were able to take advantage and inject their golf creations with the latest and greatest tech, to the benefit of players around the world.
Today, you’ll find countless technological developments at play on golf courses in golf clubs, balls, accessories and so much more. Here are just a few examples of how golf technology has changed over the years, and how it has impacted the game we know and love today.
The evolution of golf technology
Golf clubs
Naturally, as a golfer’s key weapon on the course, golf clubs have experienced the greatest and most dedicated improvements since their initial creation.
Beginning life as simple, homemade carvings by enthusiastic Scots back in the 15th century, golfers used to rely on their woodworking skills to produce the clubs they used. Eventually, iron was implemented into the golf club manufacturing process – paving the way for the steel clubs we enjoy in the current game.
Golf clubs would experience experimental shifts in design and materials throughout the centuries leading up to the 1900s. But thanks to modern computer analysis and design techniques, the last 20 years have seen perhaps the greatest seismic shift in the way golf clubs are produced.
Now, golf club manufacturers can utilise aerodynamic designs to ensure maximum club head speed and limited wind resistance, while also analysing the way weight is distributed throughout the swing and the impact it has on the overall shot, to produce perfectly balanced clubs.
These improvements also extend to the materials used to produce golf clubs, particularly drivers, and the way those materials are implemented in club heads. Manufacturers use materials like specially crafted titanium alloys for the lightest club head possible, which aids club head speed.
In turn, the manufacturers can make the club heads much larger (this is why so many drivers nowadays feel oversized) to maximise available space for impact on the clubface, aiding forgiveness.
This is barely scratching the surface of the in-depth details that go into golf club design and manufacture. But even from these details, it’s clear that the difference between golf clubs across the centuries is monumental.
Golf balls
From their earliest incarnations as balls of hair sewn together in a leather casing, golf balls have also undergone a dramatic transformation.
But it wasn’t until the early 1900s that golf balls began to resemble the technology that’s used today. It was discovered that building golf balls around a layered rubber core would improve their trajectory, as well as make them more durable. The remnants of this discovery are still seen in golf balls we use today, which are made using multiple layers, suitable for players of numerous skill levels, to aid different parts of their game.
Today, modern golf balls can be made using just a single piece (often known as a one-piece ball), and increase in layer numbers, with more advanced golfers opting for greater layer numbers. As a rule of thumb, the more layers within a golf ball, the further the ball will be able to travel.
Most golf balls you’ll find on the course are generally two-piece golf balls (an outer layer with an inner core). But more advanced players often opt for greater-layered golf balls, as these balls are softer and easier to manipulate from a spin perspective. Professional players can use these golf balls to their advantage to land balls with impeccable accuracy.
It would make sense to call golf ball dimples a technological marvel, too. But the truth is, they were discovered entirely by accident. In the 1800s, many golfers found that the more damaged and dented golf balls flew further and straighter. Today, golf ball dimples are arranged to be perfectly symmetrical, with different manufacturers making minute changes in their design to aid things like distance and spin.
Putters
Much like drivers and irons, putters have undergone several facelifts since their invention. During the first few centuries of their existence, putters shared a similar appearance to irons, with the shaft meeting the heel of the clubhead.
This was the natural response – the shape worked so well for drivers and irons, after all. But it wasn’t until the 1900s that putter shafts found their way moving towards the centre of the club head, thanks to inventor Arthur Knight. At first, people thought the idea was ridiculous. But the more people tried the putters for themselves, the more they realised just how well-balanced they were, resulting in straighter and more controllable putts.
This was all but confirmed when golf icon Walter Travis used the newly-formed putter to win two major tournaments back-to-back.
But putter designs continued to change throughout the 20th century, as well, culminating in 2001 with the release of the Odyssey White Hot 2-Ball putter. The enormously oversized putterhead with 2 life-sized golf balls painted atop the head was designed to help players line up their shots better, while also adding weight and control to the putt.
It proved to be an instant hit and resulted in a spike in the creation and sales of new oversized putters as opposed to the traditional ‘blade putters’ with thinner, lighter heads.
Golf shoes
It may be surprising, but the game of golf is much older than the concept of golf shoes, which only came into the fray around 150 years ago.
The earliest golf shoes were simple leather boots with nails shoved through the sole to aid traction – yes, they were as dangerous and uncomfortable as they sound. That’s why, in 1891, golf shoes with detachable spikes were released. But greenkeepers everywhere were mortified at the damage these spiked golf shoes were causing to their greens and fairways, which resulted in many courses banning these awkward spikes.
Metal spikes and leather remained the norm for decades, though the spikes were much less intrusive and were spread out across the shoe in a formation to aid balance and power generation, instead of being randomly scattered across the sole.
It wasn’t until the 1990s that golf spikes made from plastic and similar rubber-like materials were introduced – a trend that continues to this day.
However, as tastes change, many golfers are moving away from the traditional leather look and opting for a more trainer-like golf shoe, which is usually more comfortable and breathable. Many of these golf shoes are also spikeless, instead utilising special underfoot shaping to create grip with the ground without the need for spikes.
Buy your golf gear from a reliable golf trader
If you’re looking to use the latest and greatest golf technology in your game, be sure to pick up your golf gear from a reliable and experienced golf trader who can guide you on the best tools for your game.
