Clubs have come a long way since the days when Scottish golfers swung brassies, spoons, niblicks, track-irons and mashies at featheries and gutta percha balls over links courses developed from sandy areas between the sea and arable land.
Nowadays, golfers tour impeccable courses with manicured fairways and greens created with the aid of the most sophisticated equipment. The modern golfer drives about in a golf cart with clubs developed from technology that would not be out of place in a space station.
Before 1938, when a 14-club limit was imposed, golfers could carry any amount of implements in their bags (some used up to 30 with their hickory shafts) to deal with a variety of situations, but their design was rudimentary.
Today, clubs are mass-produced but come with an impressive range of options. Most shafts are still made of steel, but graphite with its many flexes and colours has become popular.
Persimmon was once the main material for woods, but it became too expensive and golf equipment companies started making the heads from steel. Graphite, with its light weight and strength, is ideal for both heads and shafts.
Most golf equipment companies now offer 'game improvement' peripherally weighted irons, which minimise the effect of poor shots. New casting techniques have made it possible to distribute the mass of the clubhead around the outside edges of metal woods and irons.
Customised clubs tailored to fit individuals in terms of shaft length and flexibility, lie (angle between head and shaft) and swing weight (weight distribution) are now widely available.