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!
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