Submitted photo: Morgan Hanson of Fort Dodge hits a tee shot during a hickory golf tournament. Hanson, a graduate of Manson Northwest Webster, played in six different tournaments on the tour this year.

Morgan Hanson enjoys being able to occasionally turn back the clock on her golf game.

The Fort Dodge resident and Manson Northwest Webster graduate found instant comfort in an old-school niche, winning four tournaments this past summer using old hickory clubs.

The two-time Fort Dodge Ford Lincoln Toyota regional golf champion won the women’s division at the 18th annual United States Hickory Open in Hot Springs, Ark. earlier this month. The victory capped a successful rookie campaign on the tour for Hanson, who also captured titles at the Nebraska Hickory Open at Quarry Oaks, the 48th annual Heart of America tournament at Bright-Grandview Golf Course in Des Moines, and the Iowa Hickory Classic at the Fort Dodge Country Club.

“We started playing (hickory golf) a little over a year ago,” said the 25-year-old Hanson, whose maiden name is Morgan Byson. “(Father-in-law) Dave (Hanson) asked us to play in the Iowa Hickory Classic in a four-person best shot, so we didn’t have much pressure on us (at the time) given we didn’t have any experience doing it.

“We started playing individual tournaments this year after getting a lot more practice time under our belt.”

It took Hanson a while to get a feel for the hickory-shafted clubs, which don’t carry near the same distance or have as much of a sweet spot as the technology-driven counterparts of today.

“Hickories don’t go as far as our modern clubs do, so you don’t try to get too much out of them,” said Hanson, whose husband, Ted, owns Golf Central in downtown Fort Dodge. “Smooth tempo is key for solid contact. Good shots feel great, but bad shots can go anywhere.

“A misconception is they’re really hard to hit. They’re actually not…you just don’t have the forgiveness (for misses) like we have now.”

Hanson, a state qualifier at MNW in high school and the regional golf tournament’s all-time 36-hole scoring record holder for her efforts at the Fort Dodge Country Club and Lakeside in 2023, competed in six different hickory golf events spanning four states this season. She added that she will continue to be an active member of the tour.

“It’s not as difficult to transition back and forth as you would think, because the hickories make you focus on smooth tempo and fundamentals,” said Hanson, who has her own set of specialized hickory clubs. “It’s fun to be able to play the game how it used to be played over 100 years ago.

“We’ve been able to meet a lot of great people from all over the country.”

The Society of Hickory Golfers focuses on the traditions and mannerisms true to the sport’s roots. According to its website, “Competitors, typically dressed in 1920s-style attire, use hickory shafted golf clubs to play throughout the course. All of the gear is pre-1935, with some of the clubs over 100 years old.”

The 2025 Iowa Hickory Classic was at the FDCC in August. Hanson prevailed in the ladies’ division; there were also brackets for open, senior, statesmen and scramble.