Caddie Dreams

I'm on track to begin working as a professional caddie this summer, at Chambers Bay...just part-time, mind you, when it gets really busy.The regular veteran caddies at Chambers are a really talented bunch of folks, and several have offered to take me under their wing and train me how to do it right. (I'm really grateful for this, fellas!)

Anyway, since I've been reading a lot of golf-related books this rain-sodden springtime, a suggested title popped up in my Amazon feed; "An American Caddie in St. Andrews", by Oliver Horovitz. I'm about two-thirds of the way through it, and thoroughly enjoying the read! So, what does this have to do with Hickory Golf? Well, many of my mentors have mentioned their intention to play The Old Course at St. Andrews with their hickory sticks as well as with modern clubs, so I thought I'd add this to the pre-trip reading list. Oliver Horovitz's insights into how Old Course caddies view their golfers are hilarious, and dead on. His efforts to gain acceptance into the exclusive "inner circle" are also worthwhile lessons for anyone considering becoming a paid caddie.

Since I plan to fulfill my dream next year and play a couple of rounds at St. Andrews, including (God willing) the Old Course, I'm glad Oliver Horovitz pulled back the curtain just a bit, so that I can hopefully avoid being "That Golfer" who fails to take full advantage of thais "Round of a Lifetime" opportunity.

Hickory Golf "Fashion", or "How To Look Like A Bond Villain Without Even Trying"

My wife and I were watching the 1964 classic James Bond film, "Goldfinger" last night. One of my favorite scenes takes place on a golf course, where Sean Connery (Bond) and Gert Frobe (Goldfinger) play a match for a substantial wager. While I was engrossed by the action, my Spousal Unit looked over at me and started to chuckle. "What's so funny?", I asked. "Did you ever think that you would intentionally play golf dressed like Goldfinger, rather than James Bond?" she snorted.

Well, crap.

"Moderns" Musings

I'm scheduled to play in a two-man team scramble tournament later this morning, not a hickory event, but using my "moderns". That's the term by which the really cool hickory golfers refer to their non-hickory clubs. (I haven't yet achieved that level of coolness, but I am learning the lingo!) While there's a question as to whether the tournament is a "GO" today, due to the almost unceasing rain that's been drenching our local courses, all the same I am wide awake at 4:00 a.m. Why? Oh, just the usual weird dream before any kind of competitive golf event, you know the type...everything goes sideways, running late to the course, forgot your shoes, the golf balls have all turned into granite...

In my case, the tournament was being held at the course where I work, and while I arrived well in advance of my tee time, I hadn't bothered to assemble my push cart since the last time I'd used it, and it was falling apart. The rest of my foursome called to me from the tee box as I struggled to insert and tighten wing nuts, but the cart collapsed as soon as I put my bag of clubs on it and tried to push it. As the starter called the next group to the tee, I frantically rooted through the cart's compartments to grab what I needed, then shoved the pieces of my cart behind a bush, then grabbed my heavy cart bag and began high-stepping down the grassy slope to the tee box. The next foursome was laughing at me as I skidded to a panicked stop at the white tees, where I realized I'd left my golf shoes with my busted push cart...and I'm wearing slick-soled dress shoes. That's when I woke up.

How come I don't have these dreams before playing a hickory golf event? Maybe I don't put any pressure on myself to perform, even though the competition can get pretty intense? Perhaps I need to approach playing golf with my "moderns" the same way I do with those 100 year old hickorys; just have fun, keep the swing nice and easy, and be happy when the ball flies 'Far and Sure'. Yeah, that's the ticket! Now let's see if this writing has been therapeutic enough to allow me to go back to sleep for a couple more hours. Or at least until I have another recurring nightmare about that time in Iraq when some buddies and I were hitting golf balls, and a rocket attack drove us into a bunker...and not the nice greenside variety...

If It Ain't Raining, It Ain't Training...Or Hickory Golf, Apparently!

Just a quick post to mention my growing suspicion, that at least in Washington State all hickory golf events are required to take place in the rain. Call me paranoid, but EVERY ONE of the four events I've attended were on wet, rainy days. The one that I didn't make it to was rescheduled three times (frost/snow), until it was finally played...IN A DRIVING RAINSTORM!

Now I'm fully aware that precipitation is a likely occurence in Scotland and Ireland, so wet weather is part of hickory golf's DNA, but I have it on reliable authority that Old Tom Morris, Willie Park, Bobby Jones, and Donald Ross also played golf on sunny days.

So, what's this foul weather rant have to do with the accompanying photo? Well, today's opportunity to play while waterlogged was in honor of a living legend in Pacific Northwest Hickory and Modern Golf, Mr. Don Mojean. The "Don Mojean Cup" was begun to recognize the many significant contributions Mr. Mojean has made to our sport...and rather than the traditional, posthumous honor, Don is an active participant and host! This lively 27 hole match play contest takes place at Highland Golf Club in Tacoma, WA, where Don is the head pro. The format parallels the Ryder Cup matches, and it's hard-fought fun...and it is usually (well, always) raining cats and dogs for most of the day. This year, the Red Team battled the Green Team, and perhaps because I was a member of the Green Team, we lost, 7 points to 5. I did not score a point, well, except for the fashion points I might have accrued by sporting my new Royal Blue knickers! They were tres' comfy, dried out rather quickly, and only cost me $30! (Thank you, GolfKnickers.com, for your "Mulligan Grab Bag Deal"!)

"Tommy's Honor"; An Essential Read for Hickory Golfers!

I just finished reading an excellent book, "Tommy's Honor", by Kevin Cook. Published in 2007, it tells the compelling story of Tom Morris Senior and his oldest son, Tommy Morris Junior, and their powerful impact upon the game of golf. Filled with well-written details about how the early balls and clubs were made, course design and social stratification in Great Britain in the 1800s, and the first Open Championship matches, this non-fiction book is essential reading for any hickory golfer interested in our pastime's roots.

The photo illustrating this post advertises a new film adaptation of the book. It's a UK film, hence the British spelling of "Honour". It will be released next month (April, 2017), and advance reviews are very good for both the acting and the historical accuracy. (Rumor has it that hickory golf groups around the world will be eligible for a special showing during the film's limited release.) Even if you plan to see the movie, I highly recommend reading the book as well, since the excellent depth of detail will provide the enjoyable equivalent to a semester's class in Golf History 101.

To paraphrase the faux Old Tom Morris in the Golf Now commercials: "Go READ!"

Balls! Balls, I Say!

This is a brief but sincere plug (non-compensated, by the way) for the McIntyre Golf Company; they manufacture and sell replica golf balls conforming to various periods of hickory-era golf.

I just received my second order from these folks, and as before, I'm extremely pleased by the rapidity of them filling and delivering my golf balls. While my first order was a sleeve of three mesh-pattern balls called "The Ouimet" (named for Frances Ouimet, winner of the 1913 US Open), I went whole hog this time and ordered a dozen (Yes, TWELVE!) of their dimpled "RTJ" balls...no doubt named after Robert Tyre Jones, legendary amateur golf champion.

While these high-quality replicas are much more expensive ($42/dozen vs. the $16/dozen I pay for my usual ball, the Wilson "DUO"), they are a good investment...because most formal hickory golf events require these replicas be used. Buying them individually is much more expensive, and I sure don't want to risk running out during a hard-fought match!

They also make reproductions of gutta-percha balls from the 1850s-1900s, like the balls played by Scottish Golf Legends "Old Tom" Morris and his even more accomplished son, "Young Tommy Morris". I'm tempted to buy a couple to see how they perform compared to newer versions.

You can find McIntyre Golf Company on the internet: Check out their website!

P.S. Thanks, Billy Bogey, for catching my "Hickorookie Mistake"!

Preaching The Gospel of "Saint Hickory"!

This was the third year that I volunteered at the Seattle Golf and Travel Show, but (obviously) my first as part of the AP National Hickory Golf booth. The day prior I worked the clearance sale area, bagging up bargains from local pro shops, which was fun, but not awesome. Sunday, on the other hand, I got up early, donned my new 1930s-era garb, and drove the 40 miles northward to help convert a few conventional golfers into "Hickorookies", like me!

Our leaders came up with the brilliant idea of having a practice hitting area as part of our display, which lured quite a few of the thousands passing by our booth to try out a few swings with century-old clubs. Heck, without that feature, most passersby might have written us off as "quirky geezers playing dress-up with grandpa's clothing and clubs". Instead, we got to witness golfers young and old lighting up broad smiles as they wacked replica WWI-era balls into the net. "This is SO FREAKIN' COOL!" one Plus 2 handicapper gushed, as he showed off a swing as pure as Dustin Johnson's. A couple of young women who play for their high school golf teams really got into it when they realized that their smooth, unhurried swing speeds are tailormade for hickory golf equipment.

I'm not sure how many converts we made over the two days, but one thing's for certain: My fellow hickory golfers demonstrated the positive attitude, enthusiasm, and willingness to share the love for this subset of our sport. Nothing phony about it, either...and by the buzz around the venue, everyone, vendors, show attendees, and convention center staff, were keenly aware of our presence, and liked having us there!