Story and Photos by: Beverly and Greg Wise (Golf the Wise Way)
The use of 130-year-old golf clubs alongside a Gutty Percha golf ball, and golfers dressed in historic clothing captivated and astonished the residents living in the vicinity of the Winter Park 9 Golf Course. Witnessing these classic implements in action not only highlighted the historical roots of the game of golf but also brought a sense of nostalgia and admiration for the sport’s enduring traditions on this golf course designed in 1914.
The inaugural “World Gutty Championship” presented by the “Society of Hickory Golfers” took place in Winter Park, Florida, March 14th and 15th, 2026. “The Winter Park 9 Golf Course was an ideal setting for this distinctive Match Play event,” according to the Executive Director of the SoHG, Jim Davis. The gutta percha era (1848–1902) transformed golf with affordable ball made from the sap of the Malaysian Sapodilla tree (gutta-percha). The hardened sap was heated, shaped in molds, and painted, replacing expensive leather “featheries.” Hickory-shafted woods with brass plates and smooth irons were used to play the durable ball, encouraging a new club design.
Woods featured spliced/scare joints for connecting the persimmon head to the hickory shaft. Common woods included a Play Club (driver) and a smaller head with a brass sole plate “brassies” to protect the wood from the hard ground and ball.
Irons became hand-forged with smoother, flatter faces compared to pre1848 clubs in order to hit the new harder ball for more distance. Specialized irons like lofting irons (similar to 45° loft) and niblicks were developed to lift the hard ball with a little more advantage of elevated flight.
As the ball and clubs were less fragile than earlier eras, the gutty golf club grips were often thinner, allowing for different swing mechanics and more user-friendly design.
For the 28 men and 2 women that took on the challenge of the inaugural “World Gutty Championship,” representing 16 states, we heard nothing but good feelings about the future growth of this event.
Tournament Director, Bill Geisler shared, “this championship will always be a very serious, yet boutique event as Winter Park 9 is only capable of handling a limited number of players competing for the World Gutty Championship.” “The competition will continue to expand the base of players, making this gutty event the premiere event for hickory golfers… experiencing the Gutty age of golf history.”
The event was broken down into 2 divisions comprising same type handicaps. The Taylor Division and the Braid Division. Each division played 5 9-hole matches over the course of the 2-day event for points. At the end of the 5th 9-hole matches, the top 4 players in each division played the final 9-holes to crown the champion, 2nd place and 3rd place.
Braid Division
(l to r) Bill Andrews, Winston-Salem, NC – 3rd Place,
Frank Flood, Collinsville, CT – 2nd place,
2026 Champion – Joey Piatek, Munster, IN
Taylor Division
Bill Hamilton, Augusta, GA – 3rd place,
Rachael Weaver, Mt. Dora, FL – 2nd place,
2026 Champion Rich Grula, Winter Park, FL
Beverly Wise and Greg Wise have been traveling the world, playing and writing about their golf experiences as “Golf the Wise Way,” and submitting to numerous publications as well as publishing in Ignite Golf Network.
Greg has played golf for more than 60 years and truly believes that “a picture is worth a thousand words…” so, Beverly and Greg both excel in getting the right photos to enhance their stories.
