Rut Niblick Hickory Golf Iron c1830

An early 19th-century specialist iron club
A trouble club used to play the ball ‘as it lies’ from difficult spots
Designed to hit the ball out from ruts (track marks) left from the wheels of horse-pulled carts
With an early listing grip covered with Leather and fixed with whipping
Originals are rare and expensive collectors clubs

Playing the ball as it lies was one of the original 13 rules of golf. Early 19th-century golf was played on common land where the golfer had to contend with other users, possibly playing football or archery. Wagons carrying seaweed and sand would also leave their wheel track marks, hence the track marks (ruts) from which this Rut Iron was designed to extract the ball. Irons were basically used for hitting from trouble until about 1870, and a golfer might only carry one. Around 1890 the number of irons exceeded the number of woods in players set. The Rut Iron was the early version of the Niblick. The round sole of this club made it easier for the golfer to hit a ball from a “cuppy” lie.

This model is a right-handed club only