Grapevine · Texas

The Hickory Round

Golf as it was played a hundred years ago

Step back into the golden age of the game. Play a full round with hickory‑shafted clubs, dressed in classic hickory golf attire, guided by a professional coach and hickory golf historian.

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The Experience

Part lesson. Part living history. All golf.

The Hickory Round is not a museum tour and not an ordinary tee time. It is a full round of golf played the way the game’s pioneers played it — with hickory-shafted clubs in hand, period attire on your back, and the stories of golf’s origins told as you tour the course.

The old clubs ask for a different swing: smoother, more patient, more honest. Learning it is half the fun. By the final hole you will understand the game — and your own swing — in a way no modern round can teach.

What’s Included

Everything you need, provided

  1. Hickory-shafted clubs

    A playable set of hickory-shafted clubs, provided for your round — a left-handed set is available. No equipment of your own required.

  2. Authentic period attire

    Dress the part in classic attire — knickers, socks, and cap provided for the day. Just show up in a white long-sleeve shirt and tie.

  3. Expert instruction

    A professional coach with 30 years of experience teaches you the tempo and technique the old clubs demand.

  4. Living history

    The origins of the game — the players, the equipment, the courses — told hole by hole by a hickory golf historian.

  5. An authentic round

    Not a demonstration: a real round of golf, start to finish, played as it was over a century ago.

Your Guide

Ken Jackson

Ken Jackson in period golf attire — flat cap, tie, vest, and knickers — leaning on a hickory-shafted club on the course

Every round is led by Ken Jackson — former Hickory Golf World Champion, 8-time Texas State Champion, and a professional golf coach for 30 years. Ken teaches the rhythm the wooden shafts reward, and tells the story of the game as you play it — how the equipment, the rules, and the players of over a century ago shaped the golf we know today.

Who It’s For

Golfers, historians, and the curious

The serious golfer

Strip the game to its essentials. Hickory reveals tempo, feel, and shot-making that modern equipment hides.

The history lover

Step into the golden age of golf with someone who knows it deeply — a living-history experience on grass instead of behind glass.

The one looking for something different

A day out unlike any other: memorable, hands-on, and genuinely fun for the accomplished golfer looking for a new challenge.

Questions

Hickory golf, answered

What is hickory golf?

Hickory golf is the game as it was played before the 1930s, using clubs with wooden hickory shafts instead of modern steel or graphite. The old clubs demand a smoother, more patient swing — and reward it with a feel for the game modern equipment can’t match.

Where do you play?

Rounds are hosted on courses in and around Grapevine, Texas, in the heart of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. We also travel to courses across North Texas; an additional travel fee applies beyond 25 miles from Grapevine.

Do I need my own clubs or attire?

No. A playable set of hickory-shafted clubs is provided — including a left-handed set — along with period attire: knickers, socks, and cap. Just show up in a white long-sleeve shirt and tie.

Is there a skill requirement?

Yes. A USGA handicap of 16 or less is required, due to the nature and authenticity of the clubs.

How much does it cost?

$150 per person, plus green fees for all participants, including the instructor. A round takes a maximum of 3 participants — your host completes the foursome.

Bookings

Request your round

Tell us when you would like to play and how many are in your party. We will reply to confirm availability and the details of your day.

  • $150 per person, plus green fees for all participants, including the instructor.
  • An additional travel fee applies for courses more than 25 miles from Grapevine.
  • Maximum of 3 participants — your host completes the foursome.
  • A USGA handicap of 16 or less is required, due to the nature and authenticity of the clubs.

Ken Jackson is available for a par-3 contest: everyone in the tournament plays that par-3 hole with a hickory-shafted club.