Heading For My Hickory Rehab Assignment!

The reason I haven't posted anything in three weeks is two-fold: I was up in the Toronto area, undergoing a candidate assessment for an international disaster response team, followed by a family reunion in Sacramento, Californinia...AND I returned home to undergo surgery to remove a badly-infected gall bladder.

Both events combined to keep me from taking part in this summer's premier Pacific Northwest hickory golf tourneys; The AP National Chambers Bay Invitational, Gamble Sands Invitational, and the Gearhart Links gathering. All were held in excellent weather and course conditions, and I'm quite envious of the participants!

On the other hand, I was able to vicariously stay involved with the world of hickory golf, thanks to Inside Golf publishing an article I wrote about the attractions of our sport.
My article appears on page 11.

So now that I'm recovering slowly but surely from last week's surgery (shout out to Dr. Gatta and the amazing staff at Allenmore Hospital, by the way!), my hickory clubs are sitting forlornly in the corner, silently begging me to get them outside for some work. While I took a couple of my wedges and a modern putter down to the course for some gentle efforts this morning, I'm thinking that doing the same thing tomorrow with my old clubs might be in order. "Slow and Smooth" pays off when swinging the hickory sticks, and it's definitely how I should be taking my rehab work.

Okay, then, I've convinced myself...some easy hickory work is in order, either tomorrow or Monday! (It's another advantage to working at Chambers Bay; free range time!) By the way, while working myself back into playing condition, I've volunteered to guide a Canadian golfer around the course for his first time playing Chambers, next Tuesday. I won't be carrying his bag or raking bunkers for him, but I will give him course advice, and read greens...I hope to make his first round at Chambers Bay a memorable one!

Far and Sure!

No Longer Lost in the Woods!

I'm not a good enough golfer to successfully use a 2-degree loft brassie. After several frustrating experiences with an otherwise beautifully-restored wood, I came to the realization that I needed to find some clubs with more loft.

As usual, my awesome go to guy for hickory acquisition, Glenn Thatcher came to my rescue. He alerted me to a nice selection of hickory woods up for auction on Ebay, for which I promptly submitted bids. The seller, Jerry Pederson, had listed these various beauties at a very reasonable starting bid. I was able to come away with three very nice clubs for just over $100. Better still, I've played two of the three, and they performed exactly in the manner I hoped.

I ended up with a Spalding brassie, a Kroydon cleek (which looks like a cross between a 5-wood and hybrid), and another brassie with "Wicklow Sports City" engraved on its head. The last club was as much a sentimental purchase as anything else, as my father's family emigrated from Wicklow (Republic of Ireland). Both the Spalding and Kroydon have a minimum of 18 degrees loft (probably more), and produce a ball flight that's high and long...and straight, if I swing correctly!

The point of this post is two-fold: First, to reassure my fellow rookies that you can procure very useable hickory clubs from Ebay, especially with guidance from whoever your mentor might be. (Corollary: Reach out to someone like Glenn Thatcher...hickory golf has quite a few gracious and knowledgeable folks like him...for assistance!)
Second, you don't have to spend a fortune to build a decent playing set; just remember to seek clubs that fit your game! If you are a single-digit handicapper, you'll be able to get lower-lofted clubs to perform very well. For hackers like me (I confess to a 19 GHIN index), I respectfully suggest looking for clubs that replicate game improvement characteristics, such as my higher-lofted, low center of gravity cleek. You'll play better, sooner, and have even more fun!

When Does A "Hickorookie" Cease Being One?

I participated (because using the word "played" would be somewhat misleading) in my third formal hickory golf event last Sunday. As you will see from the photos (above), I was decked out in full period-appropriate clothing, swinging my very own hickory clubs. After the round, the scoreboard listed how we had done, along with noting who belonged to special groups, such as "New to Hickory Golf". I wasn't included in this group. While my stroke total was the most of ALL competitors...though thankfully, not all scores combined...I asked myself, "Am I no longer considered to be a Hickorookie?"

Since this was a designation I coined, I suppose it's up to me to come up with the parameters governing when a Hickorookie becomes a Hickory Apprentice Player. I will give it some thought and update this post shortly!

Hickorookies (and a veteran) Hit Chambers Bay Today!

Taking advantage of an unusual dry day in this Monsoon April, I joined my hickory golf mentor, Tom Kennedy (Twitter handle: @Golf_Pig_1) and a friend of Tom's, Augusta resident and former Augusta National Golf Club caddie/current co-founder of the awesome Tour Junkies website/fantasy golf handicappers David Barnett. (@Tour_Junkies), for a round of hickory golf at Chambers Bay.

Sorry for that last mother of all run-on sentences...

Anyway, it was a double first for David Barnett: First time playing Chambers Bay, and first time playing with hickory-shaft golf clubs. David's a very social media adept individual, and also a very skilled golfer. For a hickorookie, he picked up the nuances of our century old clubs faster than most. (I'm not even going to compare his first performance to mine, which was definitely less than impressive!) While we made our way around my "office", David broadcast live video (called "periscoping", for any of you readers belonging to my demographic), via his Twitter account. Those videos will be up on Twitter for a few days, so check 'em out!

I'll post photos later, but thanks again to Tom and David for a thoroughly enjoyable day on the links!

(FULL DISCLOSURE: I shot a 99. Those guys scored considerably better.)

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!

Reaching Out to Another Hickory Rookie

My regular golf buddy and I were playing a standard round of golf, using modern clubs, at Meadow Park Golf Club in Tacoma. As we were getting ready to tee off on #17, I noticed a fellow on the adjacent 9-hole executive course, carrying what looked like hickory clubs. Being the friendly sort that I am, I ambled over to him, said "Howdy, those look like hickorys you're playing." (Yep, we old cops are what's known as "trained observers"!)

The gentleman returned my greeting, although he seemed much too sad for someone out enjoying a traditional golf outing. This fellow, who introduced himself as "Ernie", soon explained the reason for his lack of cheer: "I got these clubs years ago, and this is the first time I've used 'em," Ernie said. "I think they're good clubs, but I already broke one." Ernie pulled the remains of a shaft, and the broken off head of the mashie, and held them out like a dead squirrel. He added, "These are Tom Stewart clubs, which are supposed to be pretty good." Well, that's an understatement...I've learned that clubs made by the great Scottish craftsman Tom Stewart are very rare, and even the ones manufactured with his trademark (a pipe) go for a whole lot of money.

This is where some of the values taught by my hickory golf mentors kicked in: I asked Ernie if he knew anyone who could repair and refurbish those fine clubs. He shook his head, so I handed him my business card, and offered to put him in touch with folks who could fix him right up. Ernie brightened up, and asked if he should keep the broken off mashie head, or toss it. "Good lord, man, don't toss it...one of those club repair geniuses can replace the shaft, and it'll be good as new!"

Now whether or not Ernie ever follows through is up to him. The point of my story, however, is that the creedo of hickory players is different from the majority of recreational golfers. Heck, how many times have we encountered someone with a busted Callaway or Taylormade club, and not given it a second thought? I know I have, probably more times than I can remember. Yet from everything I've experienced from the hickory golf community, it would be an exception if somebody DIDN'T reach out to a fellow hickory hacker and offer assistance and support. And THAT is why I'm drawn to this subset of the golf universe!

Mr Jones Tell Me Something How Can I Get Rid of My Slice?

Here's a SITREP ("Situation Report") from my second formal Hickory Golf event, which took place on a rainy Saturday in beautiful Puyallup, Washington.
First observation: Not only was rain predicted for most of the day, it was coming down pretty hard when I was getting ready to go forth and hack away. This fact determined my outfit; as an old soldier, I long ago embraced the philosophy of "You don't want to practice being miserable". In my case, this translated to wearing gore-tex golf pants, waterproof rain boots (Nike's "Lunar Bandon" wet weather golf footwear are the absolute best!), and a gore-tex jacket from The Home Course. My only concessions to period garb was my beat up old Scottish tweed newsboy cap, and an argyle sweater vest. When I arrived at the private golf course, I immediately noticed that all but one of the assembled group was sporting the plus fours, dress shirts, ties, and wool jackets. Most carried umbrellas (which by the way, is a real pain in the neck when carrying your clubs and stand sticks), but by the end of the round, pretty much everyone but me smelled much like a wet dog. Not that there's anything wrong with that...
The course was pretty soggy, but we were undeterred, and sallied forth in two, five-person teams to compete in a scramble match. Each team was pretty evenly matched, with one or two really skilled golfers, and the rest of us mid to high handicappers.

As we played, I was once again impressed with the exceptionally positive approach the veterans took toward us newbies. One of our teammates inadvertantly cost us a birdie on a hole, and was mortified when it was mentioned. Now if this had been committed among my usual gang of golf buddies, there would have been merciless ribbing for the rest of the round. Not so with the hickory players; there was instant forgiveness, shared stories of us all doing the same thing at other matches, and genuine efforts to boost our teammate's inclusion. (This same teammate ended up draining a 40-foot putt for birdie a couple of holes later, keeping us in the game!)

As for my own game, I'm finally starting to get comfortable with my clubs. Took me about 11 holes before I could hit my brassie (wood) with any consistency, but my irons and putter worked pretty well, and I have a better feel for distance. This was also my first time playing the McIntyre replica golf ball, which is pretty soft compression (maybe a 30); perfect for a slower swing speed. (Also lost my first one of those suckers into a water hazard, which hurt because they're kind of expensive!) Teaching point: Avoid going out of bounds or into the lake. Hashtag DUH.

Final learning experience of the day: I had to lay out clubs, bag, headcover, and support sticks in the dog room so everything could dry out, after first wiping down the clubs with a dry soft rag. Definitely don't want to ruin those babies, now that I'm getting the hang of them!

By the way, for any of my Seattle-area readers who might be interested in checking out Hickory Golf, the AP National Golf Club will have a display at the Seattle Golf Show, March 4-5 at the Century Link Field Convention Center. There will be a practice net set up to allow you to hit some hickorys, beginner sets of clubs for sale at a reasonable cost, and members there to answer any questions you might have. Stop by and say "Hi!"

Old Skills For Old-Style Golf

Just sharing another photo of Hickory Golf's excellent representatives..."Billy Bogey" and "Tommy Tuttle" aka "Golf Pig"...to lead off a brief commentary about another discovery. What I've learned after a short time pursuing this sport is that I don't have to spend lots of money to do this. (My Spousal Unit endorses this approach, by the way, which is essential to my continued participation!)

I've previously pointed to examples of cost-saving, like converting thrift store trousers into Plus Fours (Total cost: $3). Well, my latest experiment was to construct a bipod stand to hold up my golf bag. These are listed in the spendy golf bag catalogs for $45, and they are very nice...but I can't afford that. So I stopped by the local Home Depot yesterday, and for a total cost of $6.27 I purchased a couple of 3/4 inch square dowels, some brass machine screws, washers and nuts, and made my own set. Since this was a trial run, I didn't varnish the dowels, but I will make another set later this season with all of the steps. As for the golf bag, although the kind gentleman who sold me my clubs included a very lightweight vintage canvas bag, I needed something sturdier. While eventually I may end up ordering one of those top-end leather and canvas reproduction bags ($200 at a minimum), I got a nylon-canvas "pencil bag" for $20 on Amazon.com...and then my regular golf buddy happened upon a vintage but good condition leather pencil bag at a thrift store, which he acquired for me...$5! So now I'm fully outfitted to stroll alongside the Hickory OGs without looking like a complete "Hickorookie"...even though that's who I am!

"Golf Pig" and "Billy Bogey" Recruit Again!

I did promise pictures in my last post...Here's a photo of yours truly,getting ready for my first full round with a highly-motivated AND motivational Hickory Golfer, who goes by the alias of "Billy Bogey" (He's the young fellow on the left). B.B. is a sparkplug who gets rookies like me charged up to play golf in a 1920s fashion.

Having received my initial invitation to the "Hickory Golf Family"from a first class gentleman by the nom de plume of "Golf Pig",I've enjoyed seeing first-hand how he and "Billy Bogey" pull in legions of recruits to the sport of Hickory Golf. (Photo credit: Tom Kennedy) This photo was taken on the 17th tee at The Home Course today...This is Winter Golf in the Pacific Northwest, with a nice vista of the snow-capped Olympic Mountain Range behind us!

"New" Clubs and 18 Holes of Fun!

Thanks to a very nice fellow in North Bend, Oregon, I took a major step forward with my career as a Hickory Golfer. I might have mentioned here that I wasn't planning to buy a set of hickory-shaft clubs, due to their great expense. I had been haunting local thrift stores, just in case someone donated what they thought were "cast-offs", but no joy. But earlier this week, I was perusing the listings on EBay, and a refurbished matched set of clubs caught my eye. While these clubs aren't the rarities sought after by collectors, what stood out about these irons was that they were ready for play. As you can see from the photos, the seller had restored these clubs to "almost new" condition, and he was asking a very reasonable price. Considering that I'm on a very tight budget, I didn't expect to have such an opportunity to own a ready-to-play set anytime soon, especially one as nice.

Thanks to my supportive Spousal Unit, I was able to acquire these beauties, and joined a bunch of veteran Hickory Golfers at The Home Course in DuPont, WA, for my inaugural round with my VERY OWN CLUBS! The fellowship was genuine and convivial, weather conditions were ideal (mid-40s and partly sunny), and best of all, my new clubs played better than I expected. I did chunk and shank a number of shots at first, but by the last holes, my ball was flying pretty much where I wanted it to go. By the way, if any hickory club collectors or historians are out there, I'm curious to find out the background of these clubs. They are marked "Hinsdale ***"and while I can't find a reference regarding which company manufactured them, I suspect that there might be some connection to the venerable Hinsdale Golf Club, near Chicago. Action photos to follow soon...perhaps even a short video, if I don't look incredibly awkward. (So, don't expect the video...)

Any re-enactor worth their salt knows that the attire worn during the re-enactment must appear authentic. This is much easier to do as a Hickory Golfer, especially when the Hickorookie is a senior citizen, like I am! The outfit I'm wearing in preparation for my second group outing tomorrow consists mostly of stuff I already had on hand...yep, geezer attire...The "Plus Fours" are merely a pair of wool dress slacks I purchased at the Goodwill Industries store for three bucks. I just cut off about three inches, and used some old Army "blousing bands" to secure the legs at the proper length. A Brooks Brothers dress shirt, sweater, and a Filson wool hunting vest completed the outerwear; Army cold weather socks, and my well-worn tweed cap from Scotland finished off the reasonably authentic attire. My shoes, alas, aren't replica 1930s golf footwear, but they are leather, so that should suffice! Though I possess quite a few wool plaid tartan ties, I'm going casual tomorrow...because I hate wearing ties.

The club I'm holding in the photo is my only purchase: It's a 1932 Spaulding "Kro-Flite" driving iron, which I found on Ebay for $20. It's in pretty good shape, and I've already learned to hit it pretty well. (It is the best chipping club a player could want...I've been sinking 30-40 foot shots on a regular basis!) Of course my wife's first words to me this evening when I appeared before her, dressed up like the ghost of Bobby Jones, were simply, "You're actually planning to go out in public wearing that get-up?" Why yes, my dear...Yes I am. I will post photos from tomorrow's event, which will be at the golf course I work at part time during the summer. I'm expecting sarcastic comments from most of my co-workers, but I know that they'll secretly be full of envy.