A "Tad" Different (WSFA)

Selma, AL (WSFA) - I guess you could say this Selma man is a "Tad" different. Tad Moore has been in the golf business for more than 40 years. He's known all over the world for his traditional golf clubs. While he was doing some research he wanted to see how some of the old clubs were made. He found some old hickory clubs and fell in love. These clubs were used in the late 1800's and early 1900's. When he couldn't find the clubs he was looking for he decided to start making his own. "We start with a 7/8 inch dowel of Tennessee hickory," Moore said.

The trip back in time happens inside his Selma store. He has all the tools to turn the Tennessee hickory into exact replicas of the clubs folks played with 100 years ago. "Hickory golf is about the tradition, it keeps the old game alive." So of all the types of wood out there, why hickory? "It's very strong, dense, doesn't absorb moisture, and it's the perfect weight." Golf club makers in Scotland started to use this wood when they noticed how well it worked in wooden ships.

The hickory shaft clubs are a little different than the new state of the art clubs you'll find in golf shops. "In the case of the driver you do lose some distance because of swing speed. When you play with these hickory clubs you gotta have a good sense of humor, because you're not always going to hit a good shot."

But for Tad Moore, it's not all about the score, it's about the history of the game. You can find more on Tad Moore's hickory and regular golf clubs by going to his web site: www.tadmoore.com