I've long hankered after having a go with an old hickory set. Several pals are also interested. So I am gonna buy a small set, and give it a go.

However, strikes me that we should really be using balls contemporary to the era, but I really have no idea what ones that would be, and of course there is a cost factor here! IF the "right" ones justw ouldnt be viable, any ideas on a second choice?

So any suggestions on some balls that would work well enough with Hickory that are available now and wont break the bank? If so, a supplier link would be helpful.

Thanks.

Here you go Creo Dunlop 65's - Dunno if these were of the hickory era but I don't think you can get featheries cheap.

If you don't fancy the originals how about a dozen retro style ones - New Dunlop 65's

They've even got the wrappers to take off on the first tee

Cheers Taz.

Have also found some reproduction Gutta Percha balls which would be ideal, but they are £8 a pop!

Competition

You might have already seen the above Creo. Interesting.

My brother was still playing with hickory shafted clubs when the Topflite XL was around!!

Seriously the balata wound balls have been around for a seriuosly lonf time. The trouble is that by now the windings would probably have become so degraded that the balls may well just disintegrate.

My mate found an old set of the original Dunlop 65s in his loft and when he tried them a couple exploded on the tee.

Worth bearing in mind that wound rubber dimpled balls (The Haskell) was developed in the late 19th century.

I remember my first experience of balata balls as a beginnner. I bought one dozen cross outs Dunlop 65s as they seemed quite cheap  (I was using Dunlop Warwicks at the time).

Nine holes and 5 balls became unuseable due to less than even good strikes. It made for a quick lesson about how soft balata balls were.

I too still have a bag of them, which I use for knocking round the back garden, and it very noticeable by the bobbles on the sides just how many have broken windings.