Drivers, fairway woods and utility woods (the 7s, 9s and 11s of the wood family) were actually wooden in composition - often with a metal soleplate attached, sometimes with screws in the face - until the first metal woods began appearing in the late 1970s.
As late as 1997, Justin Leonard was still using a wood driver on the PGA Tour.
The wood of choice for most of the 20th century was persimmon, a very hard wood.
You can still find persimmon woods, but many of them made today are made as novelties. The only major company still producing persimmon clubs as an alternative to metal woods is Louisville Golf, whose products are well-regarded.
Metal woods replaced wooden woods when it was discovered - and when golfers finally became convinced it was true - that metal woods could add distance and forgiveness to the driver and other woods.
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