Rare club offers glimpse of early golf

Newsletter of the Society of Hickory Golfers • Autumn 2010 • www.hickorygolfers.com
Rare club
offers
glimpse of
early golf
photos/courtesy kevin mendik
the ocean green, No. 7, on the Old Macdonald course at Bandon Dunes is seen from the tee of the
by randy jensen
following hole, Biarritz. SoHG member Kevin Mendik played the course shortly after its opening in June.
A
very rare, wood shafted golf
iron has come to light that has
sparked considerable curiosity from
golf collectors around the world.
The club, at first glance, appears
to be much older than any known
examples of golf irons. The design is
quite crude. The hosel is extra long
(nine inches) and very thick with heavy
oxidation to the metal of the clubhead.
The clubhead is a separate piece of
metal from the hosel. And yet the wood
shaft appears to be the original (from
the look of the two original shaft/hosel
pins). And the shaft looks to be in virtually playable condition.
The fact that the shaft is so relatively
good and the clubhead patina shows so
much age, adds credence to the possibility that this club is one of the earliest
known examples of an existing golf
club. However it is puzzling that the
see CLUB, 18
Bandon’s Old Macdonald honors
legacy of American golf legend
by kevin mendik
T
he land was shaped primarily by
the greatest golf architect of all:
Mother Nature. Over thousands of years,
the winds and rain along the southern
Oregon coast sculpted links land atop the
bluffs. After she did her work, it was only
a matter of time until someone with golf
on the brain came along to reveal the golf
holes. The first human contribution to the
wonderful look and feel of the golf resort
known as Bandon Dunes occurred in the
mid 1850’s when a homesick Irish farmer
transplanted a few gorse plants which subsequently spread for miles up and down
the coast near the town of Bandon.
In the mid-1990’s the land caught the
eye of a few golf minded folks looking for
much the same kind of land that Charles
Blair Macdonald was seeking when he
came upon the area that is now National
Golf Links of America (NGLA) on eastern
Long Island. Initially opened in 1999, first
one (Bandon Dunes) then two (Pacific
Dunes in 2001), then three (Bandon Trails
in 2005) golf courses were laid out and
built and each quickly found its way to the
very top of the various lists of the great
modern American courses.
Bandon and Pacific Dunes play largely
along rolling dunes overlooking the
Pacific Ocean and Trails begins and ends
within site of the sea, but takes golfers
see MACDONALD, 16
W
Down the
Fairway...
from the
President
ell, I hope everyone is enjoying a
great hickory golfing season!
2010 has been full of activity, along with
continued growth and interest in playing
hickory golf. I personally made a commitment this year to give up modern clubs.
I have not regretted this decision for one
moment. I have found that my hickory play
has improved and my appreciation and
satisfaction with golf overall has been a
much more worthwhile experience. I do get
some strange looks and questions like “Why
would I ever do something like that – doesn’t
it cost you more strokes?” My response is
simple – “It is just more fun!”
I would be interested in hearing from others who have given modern golf the heave
ho! Please write to me and let me know your
thoughts, feelings and experiences. It would
make for an interesting article for a future
Wee Nip. Maybe the title will be: Those Who
Swing Lumber ... Forgo Modern Methods!
This issue of the Wee Nip is once again
loaded with useful hickory information.
Events, interviews, domestic and international happenings, club information, playing
tips, and lots more. As we still have a strong
fall golf schedule ahead, don’t pack away
those hickory clubs just yet.
And stay tuned! The Society of Hickory
Golfers has some exciting things planned
for the 2011 season. More information and
details will be coming, so until then spread
the good word about hickory golf.
Share the hickory experience with a
friend, invite someone to play and introduce
them to our hickory world. Give it try and
get out and play!
Ken Holtz President
Society of Hickory Golfers
a wee nip
Spring 2010
Editor – James Davis
Contributors
Roger Brinkley, Chris Deinlein, Paul Deitz, Matt Dodds,
Johnny Fischer III, Lionel Freedman, Pete Georgiady,
Rich Grula, Jay Harris, Roger Hill, Ken Holtz, Randy
Jensen, Tom Johnson, Marty Joy, Doug Marshall,
Christoph Meister, Kevin Mendik, Tad Moore, Bill Reed,
Breck Speed, Pehr Thermaenius
The Wee Nip is the printed newsletter of the Society of
Hickory Golfers. It is published twice yearly.
Articles, comments, correspondence are gratefully
accepted, though publication is not guaranteed.
Address all correspondence to:
Editor, Wee Nip
338 Gladstone Ave. SE
E. Grand Rapids, MI 49506 USA
or via e-mail to: [email protected]
For information about
the Society of Hickory Golfers,
visit the website at: www.hickorygolfers.com
society of hickory golfers
society news
Tournament Results
Planning for the future
There are many items on the agenda for
the SoHG board. New tournaments are on
the horizon, equipment and handicapping
matters to discuss and, as always, how to
bring in new members and improve the
value of the organization for everyone.
Long range planning continues with the
underlying theme of playability – how to
hold competitive tournaments that challenge the best players and yet provide
a agreeable level of enjoyment for the
higher handicaps.
Your Board exists to serve and to
promote hickory play, so please contact
anyone on the Board with your questions,
issues or other concerns. The more feedback we receive, the better we can plan.
The Wee Nip is one of the strongest
tools we have to communicate and
strengthen our shared interest in hickory
play. So, for those of you who contribute
your time and articles, your letters and
photos – Thank You. The newsletter is our
print equivalent of the 19th Hole, where
a wee nip goes hand-in-hand with golf
news, stories and anecdotes.
from the editor
One of the very best benefits of working
on a newsletter such as this is the caliber
of the contributors. Into my inbox come
stories and letters from very intelligent
and talented individuals, all who love
hickory golf and golf history. It is a happy
thing to learn from their enthusiasm and
to share their work with the membership
at large.
In this issue, Kevin Mendik writes about
a hickory round on the Old Macdonald at
Bandon Dunes, a place that would seem
heaven-made for hickory golf. Golf historian and man of letters Johnny Fischer
III shares a story that his father, the great
hickory playing amateur, developed as a
presentation on playing with hickories.
You’ll meet Slab, the putter owned by
Jay Harris, and learn about a very unusual,
and quite old, antique club that Randy
Jensen thinks might own quite a title.
Connor Lewis is preparing a new pre1900 tournament on the site of the original
Chicago Golf Club. And there are news
2
SoHG Board of Directors
2010 - 2011 Term
2010 was a busy season for
hickory golfers. Let’s get right
to it with tournament summaries and photos.
President – Ken Holtz
Membership Secretary – Roger Hill
Treasurer – Mark Wehring
Secretary – Barry Markowitz
Board Members
Chris Deinlein
Matt Dodds
Bill Engelson
Jay Harris
Adam Mednick
Tad Moore
Breck Speed
H
If Old Tom Morris
was still roaming
SoHG Executive Committee –
Day to Day Operations
St Andrews he
might have
Chair – Ken Holtz
Long Range Planning – Breck Speed
Events and Equipment – Chris Deinlein
Marketing and Membership – Matt Dodds
Resource and Support – Barry Markowitz
Please feel welcome to contact your Board
and EC Committee with questions, ideas and
concerns.
and notes from a variety of sources.
This issue of the Wee Nip also presents
something new, something perhaps we
should have been doing many issues ago –
a player profile. The idea is to get to know
one another. There are several members
of the SoHG who, though they may not
frequent tournaments with the regularity
of many of our more devoted competitors,
still love hickory play as much as anyone.
So, a toss of a dart at the member list
turned up Mitch Laurance, who begins our
profile series on page 19.
As for the tournament summaries, more
information can be found through the
SoHG website and Facebook page.
Jim Davis
As always, we invite your participation
with letters, stories, photographs and illustrations.
Note: Tad Moore suffered a minor
stroke about a month ago and is reportedly coming along well. We all send our
wishes for a speedy recovery.
been playing
these clubs -
Tad Moore
Hickory
Classics.
M
S
IC
IC
KO
RY CLASS
Low Net
1st – Barb Kopec and Simone MacLellan with 92
2nd – Terry Howarth and Rich Grula with 93
3rd – Mike just and Josh Fischer with 94
Tad Moore
Hickory Challenge Four-Ball
March 22-24, Selma, Ala. Country Club
Gross
Andrews-Johnson 109
Kopec-Harris 110
Crisman-Schulz 113
Searcy-Boyd 115
Flynn-Ellis 115
Just-Fischer 117
Sewill-Floyd 118
Mcguire-Jones 118
Howarth-Grula 118
Farrar-Wagner 123
Moore-Hill 123
MacLellan-Case 123
Deinlein=Munsey 124
Aaron-Seibert 127
B.kopec-S.MacLellan 131
Speed-Williams DNP - Weather departure
Once again Carol and I enjoyed having everyone in Selma. We
had great hospitality thanks to Carol and some good golf played
as well on the Selma Country Club course. One of the best hickory courses we play all year. Glorious weather up until Saturday,
but we did get to play nine holes thanks to Tommy Burns getting
the course in great condition for us.
We look forward to having you back with us next year. Our
tentative date is the first weekend in May 2011. If you have any
thoughts on timing please send me your comments.
All the best, Tad & Carol Moore
Low Gross
1st – Roger Andrews and Tom Johnson with 109
2nd – Ted Kopec and Jay Harris with 110
3rd – Otey Crisman and David Schulz with 113
511 Selma Avenue • Selma, AL 36701 • 706.333.9626
email: [email protected]
www.tommorrisclubs.com
National Hickory
Championship
June 10-12, 13th annual, Oakhurst Links
2010 NHC Goes to Mike Stevens
[email protected]
Mike Stevens, right with trophy, nipped Randy Jensen by a single stroke
to claim the 2010 National Hickory Championship June 10-12 at Oakhurst
Links in West Virginia. Both players shot 78 on the second day but Stevens’s 80 on Friday, to Jensen’s 81 was the difference. Jensen is eight-time
champion; Stevens has now won twice and is the possessor of the Kameika
Cup for the next year.
Winston-Salem, N.C. dentist Dave Chermak won the Reserve Division (net) and first-timer Sherry Smeltzer from Camdenton, Mo. was the
Women’s Champion. In the Sporting Division (9 holes each day), Eric
Wolke and Theresa “Terry” Thompson, both from New York City, were the
winners.
Perhaps equally important were the coveted non-competitive awards. Mike
Stevens received the Lynah Sherrill Award and Ross Snellings of Augusta,
Ga., was accorded the Dundee Prize. The Society of Hickory Golfers “Bogey” Award was won by Jack Busic of Clemmons, N.C. Bern Bernacki of
Pittsburgh, Pa. and Sherry Smeltzer were judged the Best Dressed.
continued next page
3
www.hickorygolfers.com
NHC
2009 Belvedere
Hickory Open
June 25-27, 2009
Belvedere Golf Club,
Prizes were also awarded to winnersCharlevoix, Michigan
in the four divisions of the Elmore Just
USA
from page
3
French Hickory
Open
August 2009
July 2-3,
Chantilly Golf Club
Chantilly Golf Club
francehickory.com
Chantilly, France
Foursomes Competition.
photos/marty joy
Match Eight Foursomes: Randy Jensbeautiful weather blessed the
by chuck mcmullin
en and Hugh Cameron def Mike Stevens
There were four divisions in
4th annual Hickory Open at
and Bill Engelson 2 & 1
this year’s tournament with two the Belvedere Golf Club in
This year’s tournament, the
Charlevoix, Michigan, USA.
Clan Match Championship: Mike 4th
Ste-annual, was a rousing sucprizes awarded in each diviClockwise from top left: the
vens and Andy Just def Jack and Stephen
sion. Championship and Senior 7th hole looking back down
cess despite the sour economy.
Twenty-six players from 13 U.S. (gross) divisions were restricted the fairway; Roger Hill, left, and
Busic, 21 holes
Bob Martin Flite: 1st – Ross Snel- states and Canada participated in to authentic clubs as defined by Doug Marshall strike a studious
pose; Fred Muller, champion of
the SoHG. Net and senior net
lings and Pete Georgiady; 2nd – Fredthe
andtwo-day medal tournament.
the 2009 event; Scotsman Burt
divisions
were
allowed
to
use
all
Everyone
enjoyed
themselves
Sherry Smeltzer
Hogg served as official starter
photos/pete georgiady
clubs acceptable to and defined and has quite a good
cocktail parties after both
record
Mungo Park Flite: 1st – Terry Pittsatand
2010
nhc champs
. Reserve
winner
Dave
Chermak
and Women’s
Sherry
Smeltzer.
as anChampion
amateur golfer
– he
also
by the
SoHG.
This
was disclosed
Thursday’s
practice
round
and Division
Jim Clawson; 2nd – Terry Howarth and
The round,
date forand
the at
2011
June 9-11 at
plays piano and has a wonderallfor
participants
in Oakhurst.
the entry
Friday’s first
the NHC istoset
Bob White
ful voice; Chuck McMullin, one
materials and full SoHG club
awards dinner Saturday night
of the top American hickory
definitions were printed from
that concluded the festivities.
players; enjoying the day is
the Web site and included in the the foursome of Ernie Behnke,
The weather was a fairly typitournament materials distributed left, Scott Staudacher, Max Hill
cal June experience in northern
and Ken Holtz; Belvedere’s pro
prior to play.
Michigan with temperatures in
Marty Joy warms up before his
Results of this year’s event:
round.
Vermont the 70’s.
Champion – Fred Muller
The Belvedere Club was,
Hickory Open
Runner up – Marty Joy
again, a most gracious host.
June 18-20,
Several members attended all
Copley Country Club
Walter Hagen Division
of the festivities to mingle and
vthickoryopen.org
Winner (senior gross) –
meet the players, take pictures
The Vermont Hickory Open again and show a genuine interest in
Dr. Jay Harris
treated its participants to wonderful golf
Runner up – Chuck McMullin
our enthusiasm for hickory golf.
and press coverage as well. Two localTwo
pa- club members played in
pers featured photos and a story aboutthe
theevent with borrowed sets
Tommy Armour Division
senior winner Bob Dyer, right,
event. After play on Saturday, there was
a
Winner (net) – Todd Collins
of authentic
clubs and enjoyed
2010 Vermont Hickory Open
receives an award from tourRunner
up – Ken Holtz
themselves immensely. Member
golf collectibles trade show on the veranda
nament host Matt Dodds.
recruits have already been solicof the Copley club house.
Horton Smith Division
ited to play
in next
year’s tournaSenior
Division
Super Senior
Winner (senior net) Division
–
ment.
Open Division
1st – Bob Dyer, 174
(70+):
1st – Brad Gregory, 169
Tad Moore 1st – Pat Kennedy, 188
Belvedere
classic
1925 180
2ndis–aPaul
Gaynor,
2nd – Matt Dodds, 178
design by3rd
Scotsman
– AllenWilliam
Johnson, 192 Runner up – Max Hill
2nd – Norm Burnett, 202
3rd – Robert Titterton, 182
3rd – David Sellers, 204
“Willie” Watson. It has hosted
Net Winner – Allen Johnson, 140
(Participants over 70 were
39 Michigan Amateurs and looks
Net Runner Up – Chris Gilgun, 142
Best Dressed
– Bob Moran
given the option of playing
from
forward to number 40 in 2014.
R.M.
Thomson Award – Paul Nesky
the white tees, and in so
doing
Some of Watson’s other design
were playing for net prizes only.)
work includes Interlachen Golf
Club (1911) in Edina, Minn.; the
We sincerely thank the
Lake and Ocean courses (1924)
Belvedere
Club
for their hospiat Olympic Club, San Fransisco; Walter
Hagen
60+
The Belvedere
Hickory Open Gross
talityChampion
again this year.
and two of the four courses at
Fred All indicaJune 24-26, Belvedere
Club
Muller
tions are that we are invited back
OlympiaGolf
Fields,
No. 2 (1918)
Runner-Up
next year.Rick
HopeFrank
to see all of you
and No. 3 (1924) in Chicago.
Host professionalGolfing
of the great
Belvedere
Golf spent there.
Tom Watson
Club Dennis “Marty” Joy reports thatmany
a great
time was
had by his Horton Smith 60+
a summer
perfecting
all, including “three nights of lavish parties.”
The course
was
in hon- Net Champion Roger Hill
game at Belvedere
and
is an
Runner-Up Bill Engelson
orary member
club.
excellent shape and the northern Michigan
weatherof
inthe
Charlevoix
was absolutely perfect.
Gene Sarazen 70+
Belvedere Golf Club
Gross Champion Bill
society of hickory golfers
10
Lawson
Open Division
Runner-Up Max Hill
Champion - Mike Teter
Runner-Up Dr. Jay Harris
Ladies Scramble
Kate Tomkinson & Kathleen Alexander
Tommy Armour 59 and under
Net division champion Ross Hays
Runner-Up Robert Caston
society of hickory golfers
2009 French
Hickory Open
4
French hickory players continue their tradition of hosting a fine
event at the beautiful Chantilly Golf Club.
Scratch Division
by jean-louis panigel
Champion – Iain Forrester (Scotland), +6, Sudden Victory Playoff
Silver – Davey van Mulken (The Netherlands),
his first edition+6
of a hickory
Bronze – Perry Somers (Australia),
+7
championship
in France gathered 25 players who represented
Net Division:
such nationalities as Australia, USA,
Gold – Markus Kuemerle (Germany)
England, Scotland, the Netherlands,
Silver – John Still (Scotland)
Germany and France. The British
Bronze – Carol Gibbs (England)
Golf Collectors Society played a
prominent role. Two young associaphotos/jean-l
the open de france hickory was contested at the beautiful and historic Chantilly Golf Club, top,
tions were also invited to participate
celebrating its centennial this year.
in their first hickory event – the
French (APGF) and one European
The U.S.
Hickory Open
(EAGHC).
July 12-14,
Hills Country
TheMimosa
Open de France
Hickory Club Society Hickory Grail competition in
Falsterbo, Sweden.
2009 was organized ushickoryopen.org
by Jean-Louis
Chantilly Golf Club was founded
Panigel,
president offrom
the French
A record
59 competitors
19 states
Hickory
It the the Sept. 23, 1909 by Jean Gassiat,
and Canada contested for the
2010 Golf
U.S.Society
Hickory(SFGH).
Open over
was played
at the Chantilly
Golf Club Arnaud Massy, Prince Murat and
challenging Donald Ross-designed
Mimosa
Hills Country
Club,
which
is
celebrating
its
centen- Chasseloup-Laubat.
course in Morganton, N.C.
nial
(1909-2009).
The Monday practice round provided the opportunity for play- Since 1913 the club has hosted
professional Perry
ers to reacquaint themselves Australian
with the hot
and humid conditions numerous French Opens (Open de
France), therefore the name given
Somers won the 2009 Open de
as well as the devilish Ross greens. A cocktail party followed,
to the French Hickory – “Open de
France Hickory with 74, one under
announced to the distant sounds
of Scottish bagpipes. While liba-France Hickory.”
par. Somers plans to participate in
tions and hors d’oeuvres were
enjoyed
by all,Championship
a club swap/sale
In the 1920s, the Old Course
the World
Hickory
was underway in the banquet
hall.
Chantilly-Vineuil was redesigned by
in Scotland and is a very promising
randy jensen and perry somers battled for the French
At the end of two days play,
Rick
Woeckener
player
of this
season. of Fredericks- Simpson.
title. Somers finished with 74 to Jensen’s 76.
burg, Va., closed with a low round
one over
forwon
a two Though the original holes of 1909
Randy of
Jensen
from par
the 73
USA
trade show, left, and hors
day total 143 to win the Open
Division.
Scott
the Silver
medal
withMcAllister
a 76, two of Wil-could not be revived, the distance
d’oeuvres followed a Monday
practice round. Below, Society
of 5,650 meters is very close to the
strokesofafter
his competitor.
He were tied
liston, Vt. and Matt Boumphrey
Chagrin
Falls, Ohio,
of Hickory Golfers President
played
very wellthe
as silver
usual, and
squaring
at 154. A card “playoff” gave
McAllister
Boum- original.
Ken Holtz, makes a few
Jean-Louis
“Coco”
Dupont,
is
the
his
match
with
a
birdie
on
the
16th,
phrey the bronze.
announcements.
honorary president of Chantilly Golf
finishing
bogeys onN.C.,
both 17
In the Reserve Division,but
Rusty
Wellswith
of Pinehurst,
posted
18.to claim the gold medal. There Club and former executive president
net rounds of one under parand
143
(1980-2001).
David
Kirkwood,
who
is Breck
64, Speed,
was a tie between Jay Harris of Pinehurst,
N.C.
and
Executive president is Alexis
shot a 78 to earn the bronze scratch
from Little Rock, Ark. at 145. Harris was awarded second place
Godillot since 2002. Both Dupont
medal, just four strokes behind
following a card playoff.
and Godillot
former
golf
Somers and two behind Jensen. It
gorgeous are
setting
. TheFrench
hills of North
The Senior Open Division
winner
was Glenn Davis
Carolina, below, offered a beautiful
champions.
wasgold
one medal
of the more
remarkable
of Pinehurst, N.C. with a fine
score
of 161.
Second
place
settingisfor
the hickory
championship.
Dupont
widely
regarded
scores
of the
French
Hickory
andwas
won by John Hopper of Fishkill,
N.Y.hewith
Munsey
of throughout France and Europe as
shows that
can Hamp
stand high
in comGreensboro, N.C. taking third
place.
thePGA
Senior
Reserve Divi-the embodiment and personality of
parison
withInhis
professional
sion, first place was won by
Mike Just of Louisville, Ky. ThomasFrench golf tradition and history.
competitors.
Ochs of Bloomington, Ill placed
secondis followed
by Paul
Dietz Dupont was also instrumental in proKirkwood
also the hero
of this
french hickory trophy, left. Right, David Kirkwood rec
moting the German and Czech hickof Sarnia, Ontario, Canadahickory
in thirdseason
place.as under his leader“scratch” bronze medal from Jean-Louis Dupont, hon
ory events, both new this year.
as again
Captain,
the European
mempresident of the Chantilly Golf Club.
Mountain Valley Spring ship
Water
sponsored
the U.S
bers woncommittee
the British thanks
Golf Collectors
Hickory Open and the tournament
them for
T
their continued support. Thanks to all of our contributing sponsors along with the Mimosa Hills members and staff for all of
their efforts.
The 2011 U.S. Hickory Open will be hosted by the French Lick
Resort in French Lick, Ind. on July 11-13. The tournament will be
contested on the Donald Ross Golf Course at French Lick, originally constructed in 1917. We look forward to seeing all of this
year’s constants as well as many new faces in French Lick in 2011.
11
5
www.hickorygol
www.hickorygolfers.com
Heart of America
Hickory Championship
German
Hickory
Championship
July 17, Otter Creek Golf Course
hickorygolfassociation.org
Members of the Golf Collector’s Society, the Society of Hickory Golfers, and the Hickory Golf Association joined forces to conduct the GCS
Region 7 event known as the “ Heart of America” over the Otter Creek
Golf Course, Ankeny, Iowa.
The field of 38 players teed it up in temperatures that were high in the
90’s with a heat index that reached 107. It made some traditionalist “walkers” say hello to a golf cart for the first time since you could buy Po-Dos at
Walgreen’s.
The Senior Medal winner, Dr. Gary Wiren, proved that he has lost very
little game since winning the forerunner to this tournament in 1976. The
tourney was then called the “World Hickory Hacker.” Thirty-four years
later, this PGA Hall of Fame member comes back home to Iowa and
reclaims a title.
Open Division
1st – Randy Jensen, 74
2nd – Dr. Dave Brown, 77
Senior Net
1st – Mike Enich, 64
2nd – Bill Reed, 66
Low Net
1st – Gary Swenson, 63
2nd – Bryan Doughman, 67
Ladies Medal
1st – Jeanne Swenson, 84
2nd – Chris Shanahan,
3rd – Debra Herrington
Senior Medal
1st – Dr. Gary Wiren, 75
2nd – Mark Wellman, 80
Aug. 7,
Bad Wildungen Golf Course
germanhickory.com
champions.
Heart of America Open winner Randy Jensen, left, and
Senior Medal winner Dr. Gary Wiren, right, pose with new additions to their trophy shelves.
Scramble
1st – Marcus Jones, Jeff and Christie
Wendel, and Kevin Beard, host pro at
Otter Creek – 61
2nd – Gregg Dress John Ausen, Rives
McBee (former PGA and Champions Tour
player, now Region 4 Director for the Golf
Collector’s Society), and ( I kid you not )
Bobby Jones Jr.
Swedish Hickory
Championship
July 24-26, Stockholms Golfklubb
The second German Hickory Championship was played at Bad Wildungen Golf
Course in Central Germany.
There were three local players out of the
field of 36. The number of hickory players
in Germany is growing slowly but steadily
with more players now owning an original
pre-1935 hickory set. The tournament
was played according to SoHG equipment
rules and was a walking-only event.
Iain Forrester, the 2009 German
Hickory Champion, gave a golf clinic on
Friday afternoon followed by a three-hole
exhibition match with Forrester, Dutch
professional Davey van Mulken and two
German based professionals, Perry Somers
(Australia) and Andrew Gauld. Somers
won by one stroke over Gauld.
Saturday was bright and sunny with
agreeable temperatures.
The 1930 Charles MacKenzie & Karl
Hoffmann-designed course remains
virtually unchanged except for two added
fairway bunkers on the 9th hole.
Somers won the championship with a
solid 74. Forrester was second with a 78.
North German Boris Lietzow was the
leading amateur in the clubhouse with 83,
2010 German Hickory Championship
followed by Michael
Edin from Stockholm, Sweden, and
Hans Lichtenberg
from Krefeld, Germany, both with 84.
Defending Ladies
Champion Britta
Nord from Sweden,
playing out of Annika
Sorenstam’s home
club, Bro-Bålsta, won
the ladies competiready for play. Hans Lichtenberg, left, Dave Norman and Klaus Sasse pose
tion.
for a photo. Perry Somers, at right, won the overall championship.
The “Dr. Jürgen
Everyone felt the event was a great sucKienle Preis,” which
cess and we look forward to welcoming
honors long-time golf collector and keen
all hickory players to the 2011 German
hickory golfer Dr. Kienle from Bad
Wildungen, was kindly sponsored by Mrs. Hickory Championship.
Kienle and won by Ralph Weyda from
photos and story/courtesy christoph meister
Aalen nr. Stuttgart and Ivonne van Mulken
from the Netherlands.
http://golfhistoriska.golf.se
This year’s winner was Per G Nyman, Växjö GK.
The 2011 Swedish Hickory Championship will be
played over the Kronholmen course of Visby Golfklubb
on the island of Gotland in the Baltic; exact date, (near the
end of summer) has yet to be determined.
Ark. vs. Miss.
Hickory
Challenge Cup
photos/pehr thermaenius
swedish champ,
Per G Nyman, above, of
Växjö GK, made several pressure putts to
defend his lead on the finishing holes.
13-year-old andie fleuron, Eslövs GK, was
tied for 15th in the championship. He
plays on the Swedish youth tour, usually
against boys who are five years older.
We think he is hickory golf’s world number one in his age group. Please correct
us if we are wrong.
on the bag for mom.
Frida Rydberg carried for her mother, Britta Nord,
Bro-Bålsta GK, who won the 2010 Swedish Ladies’ Championship.
One week earlier, Ms. Nord won the Finnish Hickory Championship.
society of hickory golfers
mikael tillström of Stockholms GK
looked anxious when he came out
of the woods. He is an experienced
hickory player who usually has nothing
to worry about out on the course.
6
Aug. 11-12,
Ole Miss Golf Club
hickorygolfers.com
On Aug. 11 and 12, the hickory golfers of the Country Club of Jackson, Miss.
captained by Keith Cleveland, hosted
the Arkansas Hickory Golf Association,
captained by Breck Speed, in the first annual Ark-Miss Hickory Challenge Cup at
the Ole Miss Golf Club in Oxford, Ms.
The event was contested in Ryder Cup
format, consisting of four matches of four
ball, four matches of foursomes, and seven
singles matches. On the first day, Mississippi used its home field advantage to take
a 3-1 lead in the four ball matches over the
hilly Ole Miss course. That evening, the Mississippi squad
hosted its Arkansas neighbors to dinner at
Prime Steakhouse in Oxford. The Arkansas team returned the favor by presenting
engraved hickory shafted putters made by
Tad Moore to the Mississippi squad. Captain Cleveland thanked all players for
participating and spoke about why he
embraces hickory golf over the modern
game. Captain Speed regaled the group
with several poems on the joys and pitfalls
of the ancient game. On the 12th, Mississippi again prevailed
over the familiar course in the foursomes,
3-1. In singles, the final outcome failed to
reflect the closeness of the competition, as
most matches were tight till the end, but
Mississippi prevailed to win the inaugural
Cup, 11½-3½.
In spite of record heat in Oxford, the
event was enjoyed by all, and all partici-
7
not this year. Despite Arkansas Captain Breck
Speed’s attempt to keep the Cup from rival
Captain, Keith Cleveland of Mississippi, the
inaugural Ark-Miss Hickory Challenge Cup was
claimed by the team from Ole Miss.
pants agreed to compete again next year,
as long as the event is moved to the fall. It
was HOT – over 100 and high humidity.
www.hickorygolfers.com
Foxburg
Hickory
Championship
The Kummel Cup
Aug. 27-29, Lawsonia Links
Hickory
‘Kummel Cup’
Aug. 13-14,
Foxburg Country Club
Nineteen hickory contestants from eight different states gathered Aug. 27-29 in Green Lake, Wis. to test their playing skills on
the famous William Langford design, Lawsonia Links, set up at
just under 6,100 yards.
On the first day, with a stiff breeze out of the West, it looked
like Roger Andrews (Jenks, Okla.) was going to run away with it
after shooting an even par round of 72 on day-one of the competition. And run away he did, following with a 78 on day-two, delivering a two-day total of 150, with our next best finisher at 155.
David Guerard (Wauwatosa, Wis.) using authentic pre-1935
clubs, recorded an 81 on day-one, and roared back with a 74 on
day-two. Congrats to these two fine players and the rest of our
medal winners. (Please see SoHG website for a list of scores and
winners)
Plenty of celebration was also consumed by our group, including a sunset cocktail cruise on beautiful Green Lake, participation at the Princeton “Burn Down The Fox” BBQ competition,
a Kummel liquor tasting, flea market search, shopping, antiques
and plenty to eat and drink. A good old time was had by all.
Dates for the 2011 Cup are Aug. 26-28.
hickorygolfers.com
First round competition included 28 golfers, with the ranks swelling to 34 for the
second round. Additional golfers included
several Foxburg members (Ted Marron,
Don Smith, Mike Gardner) and two youngsters sponsored by the Pittsburgh First Tee
Program. The championship presented an
excellent opportunity to expose the younger
generation to hickory golf, as well as the
history and museum that is the Foxburg
experience. The youngsters (Mike Kinney,
and Mercedes Epondulan) acquitted themselves admirably, their respectful demeanor
fit nicely with the formality of a legitimate
hickory golf championship.
The competition in day one was spirited
in both the Fox Division (pre-1900) and the
Fownes Division (post-1900).
The second day opened with the splendid
sounds of a ceremonial bagpiper. The challenge of the gutty ball and the Foxburg course
layout proved too much for most of the contestants, and sent scores soaring, with only a
handful of contestants able to better their first
day scores.
When the dust settled, the competitive Dr.
Jay Harris (North Carolina) completed a strong
comeback to capture a one shot victory for
the Open medal in the Fox Division, and Dr.
“Dog” Ellis (Ohio) held on for victory in the
Open Senior competition of the same division. (For reference, Harris shot 175; Willie
Park shot 174 for the 36 holes of the first Open
Championship at Prestwick 150 years ago).
Barry Markowitz continued his solid play
and became the championship’s first two-time
champion, winning the Fownes Division in
both 2009 and this year.
Activities other than golf included shopping
at a nearby outlet mall, local shops in Clarion
and Foxburg, and daily excursions to the winery a half-mile down the hill. Dining (always
important) included a catered post event meal
Saturday, and a first-rate dinner at the Captain
Loomis Inn Friday evening.
Perhaps the nicest part of the weekend was
being able to have as many wives, significant
others, and friends join the group. They added
charm and energy to the event, and their contribution to the championship’s overall success
and enjoyment is greatly appreciated.
The 2011 Foxburg Hickory Championship is
scheduled for Aug. 12-13.
society of hickory golfers
hickorygolfers.com
Championship – Division
Winners Trophy
kummel competitors, above, enjoyed
this first-time event, which included
a boat tour on neighboring Green
Lake. At right, event host Ken Holtz
presents the champion’s trophy,
and a bottle of Kummel, to winner
Roger Andrews.
(Editor’s note: Kümmel,
is a sweet, colorless liqueur
flavored with caraway seed,
cumin, and fennel. According to the Dutch, kümmel liqueur was
first distilled in Holland during the late 16th century. Russia is
now the principal producer and consumer of kümmel. In the UK,
it is a popular drink at many of the more traditional golf clubs.)
The Czech Hickory
Championship
Late August, Hostivar Golf Club
hickorygolf.cz/
dr. jay harris
was the Fox
Division (pre1900) champion for the 2011
Foxburg Hickory.
barry markowitz, left, became the first player to win consecutive titles at Foxburg, winning the
Fownes Division (post-1900) title both in 2009 and 2010. Dr. “Dog” Ellis, above right, won the
Open Senior competition in the Fox Division.
8
End of August hickory players from Australia, Bulgaria,
Croatia, England, Germany, The Netherlands, Scotland, Slovakia, Sweden and, of course, the Czech Republic gathered to play
the second Czech Hickory Champions at Prague’s Hostivar GC
over 18-holes. This event was preceded by the traditional 9-hole
Hostivar Golf Match.
The Hostivar Golf match gross trophy was won by Perry Somers
(Australia). Czech golf historian Prokop Sedlak from Lisnice GK
finished second and Czech Golf Federations rule official Dalibor
Prochaska from Karlovy Vary (Karlsbad) finished third. The net
competition was won by Jiri Skaba from Prague. Britta Nord from
Stockholm took home the women’s prize
Almost 30 hickory players, families and friends enjoyed a
lovely evening with barbecue, Czech beer and live music. Hostivar GC president Jiri Martinka made us all feel very welcome and
quite at home.
Thirty-two hickory golfers – four professionals and 28 amateurs – all enjoyed a lovely day. Perry Somers won the championship with 74 strokes. He was followed by Robert Schovanek with
80 and Michael Edin (best amateur) with 87.
Britta Nord from Sweden was the best lady with a winning
score of 89 followed by Annie Altmann from the Netherlands and
last year’s winner Jean Hamilton from Scotland.
Theresia Rolfs from Germany had the best net score of 67
followed by Jan Zoulik (Prague) with net 70 and Jiri Skaba (also
Prague) with net 71.
Thank you to Jiri Martinka for the perfect organization and
photos/thomas hradecky
czech hickory championship winners,
above, pose with their trophies. From
left, Jiri Skaba, Theresia Rolfs and Jan
Zoulik. At right, Jan and Monika Zoulik
from Prague made a very handsome
couple.
hospitality at Hostivar. Next year the Czech Hickory Championship moves to the Prague Golf Club at Motol, which is celebrating its 85th anniversary.
9
www.hickorygolfers.com
The Charles Blair
Macdonald Challenge
and Eastern Canadian
Hickory Open
Sept. 10-12, Niagara Golf Course
Despite the threat of a rainy
weekend, the 8th annual Charles
Blair Macdonald Challenge and the
Eastern Canadian Hickory Championship were contested and enjoyed
by 40 players at the Niagara Golf
Course – the oldest golf course in
North America still located on its
lovely views from the clubhouse
original site.
patio of Niagara-on-the-Lake.
On Saturday, using pre-1900
equipment, and the McIntyre gutty ball, the contestants played
nine holes of foursomes and nine holes of better ball golf. The
course was set up at 4,600 yards, a good length for the limited
flight gutty ball. There were several good scores, including a 37
by Bill Truppe (London, Ontario) and a 38 by David Ellis (Zanesville, Ohio). The day ended with Canada leading by a narrow
margin, 10.5 to 9.5 points.
On Sunday, 20 singles matches played with 1920’s equipment
and the McIntyre bramble ball as a medal match play event.
The Iowa Hickory Classic
Sept. 10-11, Hyperion Field Club
hickorygolfassociation.org
The course at Hyperion is a 100-year-old Tom Bendelow
design celebrating its centennial this season. The hickory competition played at 5,770 yards from tees that were historically
accurate to the regular tees of original play in the year 1910.
Fifty players teed it up in this year’s competition featuring members of the Golf Collectors Society and the Society of
Hickory Golfers as well as the host, Hickory Golf Association.
The Friday evening reception also enabled some spirited table
trading, a historical display of clubs from the 1860’s and later
periods, plus several golf balls featuring featheries, gutties, and
mesh varieties.
Scottish delicacies at the reception included smoked plank
of salmon, shrimp in whiskey sauce, partan bree soup, steamed
mussels, braised tenderloins of beef, as well as Scottish eggs and
scones and sweetbreads for the sweet tooth. Awesome !!
After 18 holes, Roger Andrews of Oklahoma and Jordan Angell
of Iowa each posted 76. A sudden-victory playoff lasted four
holes until Andrews carded a fine birdie for the title.
Hyperion member Jim Carothers defended his 2009 Senior
division title with an 82 to edge John Hutton of Loveland, Colo.
who posted an 83 to claim second place.
The two-man team competition was won by the Oklahoma
duo of Bob Gardenhire and Bill Crowell with 70. Russ Fisher
and Bob Baldus, both of Des Moines, placed second in the team
event.
The Open division net Champion’s title was won by SoHG
society of hickory golfers
Canada scored 11 points to the United States’ nine points. There
were several very good scores, including a 78 by Senior Vern
Petry (Bradford, Ontario), and 79’s by Jason Miller (Clarksburg,
Ontario), Rusty Wells (Pinehurst, N.C.), Jim Wilhelm (Paris, Ontario), and Terry Howarth (Washington, Pa.). The course played
at 5,300 yards.
The final score was Team Canada 21.5 points – Team USA 18.5
points, giving Canada six wins in eight playings of this event.
Contestants came from nine states and many parts of Ontario.
In the Eastern Canadian Hickory Championship, after 27 holes
of golf, Jim Wilhelm and Paul Dietz (Sarnia, Ontario) tied at 119
strokes. Wilhelm was crowned Open Division Champion and
Dietz took the Senior Division title.
A new division was introduced to the tournament this year.
Bill Turville (Toronto, Ontario) won the Super Senior Division
(age 70 and over).
Runners-up were Rusty Wells (Open Division), Vern Petry
(Senior Division) and Doug Marshall (London, Ontario, Super
Senior Division).
Many thanks to those participating in the C.B. Macdonald
Challenge, and making it such a success.
Please join us next year, Sept. 9-11.
Paul Dietz
The World
Hickory
Open
Sept. 20-2,
Gullane 2 and 3, Scotland
The championship was played over
two days at Gullane No 2. in wet and
windy conditions. Competitors played
off the back tees after the first day,
Perry Somers (Australia) was leading
Alastair Good (Gullane Professional)
by one shot – 78 to 79.
The second day’s play was over
Gullane 3 in slightly better conditions
– drier but still windy. Gullane 3 is 100
years old this year. Willie Park was
paid the sum of 10 guineas for designing it, a sum that the committee of the
time thought excessive!
Perry Somers’ 76 for a two-round
total of 154 was enough to top Alastair
Good by two shots.
The results are as follows:
Open Division
1st – Perry Somers, 154
2nd – Alistair Good, 156
3rd – Rick Valentine (Master of Golf
at Loretto Golf Academy), 166
Handicap Division
1st – Ewan Glen (New Club St.
Andrews), 156
2nd – Timor Stille (Loretto Golf
Academy), 157
3rd – Colin Sinclair (Gullane), 162
The team competition was won by
Rick Valentine, Timor Stille and Andrew Minto of Loretto Golf Academy
with a net score of 67.
worldhickoryopen.com
world hickory champion Perry Somers,
far right, is shown with runner-up
Alastair Good.
hickorygolfers.com/macdonald/
President Ken Holtz
who shot 78/net 70. The
2008 Open medal winner, Dr. David Brown
of Omaha, shot 78/net
71 for runner-up.
The Senior net division title was claimed
by Fred Smeltzer of
Camdenton, Mo. with
a net 69. Second place,
with a net 70, went
to Duane Baylor of
Ralston, Neb. over Don
Kavalec of Omaha,
Neb. who also carded
a net 70. Baylor was
awarded second in a
card playoff.
finishing hole at Hyperion Fields.
The Ladies division
had a field of four but claimed a large gallery of followers. Jeanne
Swenson, of Kelley, Iowa, fashioned a medal score of 98 to win
that title, with second place going to Cindy Austin of Omaha,
Neb. Chris Shanahan of Shelby, Neb. finished third. Darcie
Breeden of Upland, Calif., playing with borrowed hickories for
the first time ever, said she had the time of her life.
The field of this year’s Iowa Hickory Classic included players from: Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, Arkansas,
Oklahoma, Missouri, Arizona, and California. Thanks to all of
you for your participation.
Bill Reed
10
Mountain Valley
Hickory Open
Oct. 2-3, War Memorial
Golf Course
hickorygolfers.com
Thirty-six players contested Open, Senior and
4-Ball divisions at this year’s Mountain Valley
Hickory Open in Little Rock, Ark.
Open winner for the third time was Jeremy
Moe of Fort Smith, Ark. Second place and Low
Amateur Medal was awarded to Bob Baker of
Little Rock, Ark. with Roger Andrews of Jenks,
Okla. in third.
The Senior Division was won by John Berggren of Kingwood, Texas. Ray Riggs of Little
Rock came in second place followed by Ralph
Williams of Little Rock in third.
Bob Baker and Jeff Francis won the 4-Ball
competition with a 129 total on the par 65 lay-
out, making Francis the only two-time winner
of the 4-Ball division. Second place was secured
by Jeremy Moe and Breck Speed. Arkansas Golf
Hall of Famers Jay Fox and Ralph Williams
came in third.
For complete results, pictures and video go
to Facebook and “Like” the Society of Hickory
Golfers!
Please make plans to join us next year!
11
first tee hickory players, learned about
golf history, equipment and hickory
play from kilted Bill Reed and Russ
Fisher, above left. The kids also got
to hit hickory clubs. Above, Peter
Herrington poses with the event’s
refreshment of choice – a premier
drink since 1871.
www.hickorygolfers.com
Practicing with hickories
[This article was compiled by John
Fischer III from a talk given by his father,
Johnny Fischer, to the Greater Cincinnati
Golf Association and from correspondence
by his father to Joseph C. Dey for Golf
Journal and to Herbert Warren Wind as
background for an article. Johnny Fischer
was the last person to win a major tournament using hickory shafted clubs, the 1936
National Amateur played at Garden City
GC on Long Island.]
by johnny fischer
national amateur champion
1936
1932
intercollegiate (ncaa) champion
western (big
1932, 1933
10)
and
conference champion
1935
walker cup team, 1934, 1936, 1938
and 1965 (non-playing captain)
I
was introduced
to golf in1921
when I started to
caddy at Western Hills C.C. in
Cincinnati. Caddies
were forbidden to
swing clubs or hit
balls, but it wasn’t
soon before we
johnny fischer
started to do both
outside the view of the clubhouse or the
caddie master.
I began to watch the better players and
imitate their swings. On Monday afternoons when the course was closed, caddies were allowed to play. There was no
practice tee at the club, just a small area
that paralleled the 18th fairway where the
pro gave lessons, and, even if there had
been, we wouldn’t have given up the few
golfing moments we had to hit balls. We
wanted to play.
Most clubs in Cincinnati had no practice
tees at that time. Hickory shafts were
prone to cracking or wearing out with
extensive ball striking. I won both the
Cincinnati Metropolitan Junior Championship and the City Caddie Championship
in 1927 with borrowed clubs and the pro
at Western Hills, Ed Brophy, rounded up
some clubs I could call my own, and let
me play more than just Monday afternoons.
To practice, I would play several balls
society of hickory golfers
on each hole or play cross country, that is,
hitting to a green from a different fairway
or hitting to a target such as a tree to learn
to judge distance.
If you stop to think about the practice
tee, it is usually level and well maintained.
It is good for practicing with a driver, but
otherwise doesn’t reflect the golf course. I
believe I became a good iron player, especially on the long to mid irons, by practicing on the course. The course presents all
sorts of lies – uphill, downhill, sidehill,
tight, bare and rough. Hitting from the
great number of lies a player is likely to
encounter is not learned on the practice
tee; it is learned from playing.
In Cincinnati, the prevailing breeze
is from the southwest, and if you limit
yourself to the practice tee, all your shots
will be hit with the same wind pattern. By
practicing on the course, I learned to play
under any wind condition.
I was long off the tee and a good iron
player, but my strongest suit was putting.
Par is based on two putts on every green.
You will hit more shots with the putter
than any other club in the bag, so it should
be the one you practice the most. I’ve
always said that the hardest shot in golf is
the short putt of between five and 10 feet
in length. If you can make those, you’ll
win a lot of matches and reduce your
medal score. Most golfers would rather go
to the practice tee and hit drives. It might
satisfy you to “crack” a few drives on the
“sweet spot,” but, if you can’t putt, you
can’t score.
I also like to practice putting on the
course. When I was playing in tournaments on a strange course, I would always
take as many putts on each green as time
would allow during practice rounds, and
from as many positions on the green as
possible.
I seldom practiced on the putting green
at a new course. I find that the practice
green is usually near the clubhouse which
is almost always the highest point on the
course. That means the practice green is
usually more dried out than the greens on
the course because it is open to the most
breeze and often is not indicative of how
the greens will putt.
I found my hickories to be better for me
12
photos/johnny fischer iii
top amateur Johnny Fischer never gave up put-
ting with hickories, preferring the “feel” of the
wooden shaft over steel. Photo is circa 1932.
than steel shafted clubs. I have a rather
fast swing, and the hickories made me
slow down a little bit. Plus, in those days,
hickory shafts were more stiff than steel
shafted clubs. The early steel shafted clubs
had a lot of “whip” because they had a
long, single tube for a shaft. To make them
stiffer required a heavier shaft which was
difficult to swing. I am basically a “feel”
player, and I knew how the hickory shaft
would respond. Unless you’ve played with
hickories, you probably won’t understand
the concept of “feel” I am referring to.
As the true temper steel shaft developed,
the shafts could be made lighter and more
stiff, but even when I had to switch to
steel in 1955, I had difficulty finding a stiff
enough shaft or one with the proper “feel”
for that matter.
I never gave up my hickory shafted putter. I have a closet full of hickory shafted
putters, and even tried a Bulls-Eye and a
Cash-In, but they had no feel for me. I am
a wrist putter and hickory helps me get the
right “touch.” After the war, some teachers espoused a shoulder stroke which took
the hands out of the putt. My old friend
still graceful after many years. Photos of Johnny Fischer taken in 1926, left, and in 1982, show
a fluid swing and upright follow-through. The latter photo was taken on the 10th tee at Augusta
National, where Fischer was a member. The earlier photo is from 1934 in Florida where Fischer was
practicing for upcoming Walker Cup matches.
from the Navy, Paul Runyon, taught this
method, and he was one of the best short
game players and putters who ever lived,
but I just don’t understand it. You don’t
have any feel in your shoulders. Feel is
in your hands. A hickory shafted putter
allows me to “tap” or “stroke” the ball.
I continue to use a Tom Stewart hickory
blade, and have filed the back of the toe
Welcome, new
SoHG members
Michael Judd - Portland, Mich.
Dave Seibert - Atlanta, Ga.
Stephen Sutherland - Davidson, N.C.
Phillip Bunch - Dullis, Ga.
Ralph Williams - Little Rock, Ark.
Rick Woeckener - Fredricksburgh, Va.
down to get proper feel.
My putter has a little loft which is helpful in getting the ball rolling. On slow
greens, the loft actually gets the ball up on
the top of the grass and allows it to roll.
A putter with little or no loft requires the
ball to “pushed” through the lower part of
the grass blade until it can get on the top
and roll.
John Slaby - Wyoming, Mich.
Robert Hewson Jr. - Orland Park, Ill.
Christopher Emmett Eaton Madison, Wisc.
John Goode - Rancho Palos Verdes,
Calif.
John Green Sr. - Morganton, N.C.
Fred Fruisen - Savannah, Ga.
Markus Kummerle - Germany
Mark Proffitt - Tampa, Fla.
David Jordon - Scarsdale, N.Y.
The sweet spot on my putter is a little
closer to the hosel than in the center of
the blade. Occasionally I practice steep
downhill putts a little more off the toe
which imparts a little less speed on the
ball, and on long putts or uphill putts I
play it a little closer to the hosel which
gives a firmer result because it reduces any
torque caused by a harder strike at the ball.
Time practicing putting had let me know,
through “feel,” how the ball will respond.
In putting, I try to keep the blade square at
the point of impact except in the case of a
“cut” putt.
On all putts, especially short putts, I try
to impart enough speed on the ball to get
it no more than six or eight inches past the
cup. In this way, the ball will frequently
“die” into the hole. I frequently see players hit short putts firmly toward the hole to
reduce the effect of grain or break, which
is fine if you hit the hole dead-center, but
can lead to a lot of frustrating lip-outs.
When I line up a putt, I stand behind the
ball and bend over slightly at the waist to
get a “feel” for the proper line, much as
I have a “feel” for the putter. Too many
players over analyze putts trying to figure
out grain, speed, wind, borrow and any
number of things which lead to over-thinking the putt. Practice putting will result in
being able to see in your mind where the
ball is going to go and you will find that
will result in a lot of holed putts. The more
you stand over a putt and think, the more
likely you are to lose confidence and have
a miss-stroke.
Good players learn to feel their way
around the golf course, which is a result
of practice on the course and building
confidence in how the ball will behave. I
believe feel begins with hickory shafts, if
only in the putter.
Neal Cowne - Ft. Smith, Ark.
Ron Samuelson - Omaha, Neb.
Dr. Barry Death - London, ONT,
Canada
Timothy Robinson Bowling Green, Ky.
David Guerard - Wauwatosa, Wisc.
Jeff Guerard - Wauwatosa, Wisc.
Frank Rosenzweig - Pittsburgh, Pa.
Mike Lastowski - Aberdeen, Md.
Steve Tom - Acworth, Ga.
13
Applications newly received:
Bern Bernacki - Pittsburg, Pa.
David English - Evansville, Ind.
Bill Geisler - Winter Springs, Fla.
Ralph Weyda - Germany
Heike Weyda - Germany
Stephan Mossburg - Sweden
www.hickorygolfers.com
featured
club
Slab, the putter
courses we love –
Mid Pines Golf Club,
Southern Pines, N.C.
by dr. jay harris
pinehurst, n.c. usa
I
acquired it about seven or eight years
ago from Bobby Hansen, a friend and
noted collector. It is very heavy, thick and
tall – a simple blade putter. He loaned it to
me to try. I liked it for several reasons.
First, at 26 ounces, it was very heavy.
(Who says that the “heavy putter” is a
new idea?) I have a tendency for what I
call “happy fingers.” The putter’s heavy
weight calms my hands and reduces the
feint beginnings of any yips.
Secondly, the putter qualifies for pre1900 tournament play as well as regular
hickory play. Ultimately, it became my
putter for “dark-side” play with modern
clubs.
Third, the putter is unique, one-of-akind. It is very old. Hansen said it dates
to the early blacksmith era of the 1850s.
Thus, the putter suits and matches my
personality.
Last, and most important, I could putt
with it. It seemed to fit my eye. It was in
my hands when I won the inaugural U.S.
Hickory Open at Morganton, N.C. I have
used it to win the Mid Pines Open and the
tournament at Belvedere, Mich. The putter
gets attention wherever I play. I was using it during a Carolina Hickory
Golf Association outing at Pine Crest in
Lumberton, N.C. when I was paired with
a local player who was a local newspaper
writer. On my game that day, I hit a lot of
good iron shots to the small greens and
made a few nice putts. I shot 75ish. The
writer said he could not imagine such play
with old clubs. (I would have more titles
if I could play like that every
time out.) When the man’s article was
published, I learned a new
word. He wrote that I putted
like mad with a crude putter
he described as a “froe.” First
thing I did was reach for a
dictionary.
Turns out a “froe” is a heavy
instrument used to cleave
wood logs. The putter at that
moment could have attained
a great nickname – Froe. But
society of hickory golfers
with further use and exposure, the putter
previous life,
came to be known affectionately as “The
was that of an
Slab.” My hickory golf friend, Steve
organ harvester,
Gaddy, so christened it. working very closely
He and I have had many putting conwith doctors.) tests at the Pinehurst No. 7 putting green
I took Slab to him just recently and
playing a local game called 21 – closest
we came to a careful diagnosis of how to
to the hole is 1 point, a lip-out is 2 points,
mend and heal her. We wanted her to be
a hole-out is 3 points. As well as I can
straight and strong and still be pretty. A
sometimes putt with Slab, I have never
weld joint was out of the question as a
gone home with any of Steve’s quarnecklace of bright metal around part of the
ters. He mumbles something that his wife
hosel would not favor Slab’s intrinsic dark
expects him to come home with change
nature. Internal medicine was called for. A
to fill a glass jar. If I could putt like him, I
dowel was shaped to fit into both the head
would fear no golfer. end and the shaft end of the hosel. Then
All great successes in life always have
J-B Weld (a powerful epoxy) would tie the
an element of tragedy. Slab was no excep- two ends together. Slab is stronger than
tion. I thought I might like to make the
before, and just as beautiful.
putter a little more upright. As most, I say
Hallelujah.
most, forged metal bends easily, I foresaw
(Just you wait, Steve.) no problem. So, with my Mitchell lie-loft
machine, and using the deft touch of a
long-experienced dentist, I carefully put
pressure on the hosel. Wham! I
immediately opened up a crease
in the hosel. Slab was mortally
slab’s secret. The metal dowel that
wounded. Two weeks later, as I
keeps her together and her owner
was putting with her, Slab expired
unburdened of putting debility.
in two pieces. It was a heavy
blow.
Fortunately, in Pinehurst, there
is a great blacksmith shop, and
I came to know a master problem solver with metal – Eric
Hall. (Here is a man who, in his
14
SoHG member Rich Grula writes about
his favorite hole, No. 12, on the Mid Pines
Course, a popular stop on the autumn
hickory tour.
by rich grula
F
or some, “favorite golf hole” means
an easy birdie – a par 3 with a
punch bowl green that feeds to the pin.
Being a masochist (hey, I play hickories!),
my tastes run opposite – a hole that seems
simple but in fact mars my card with a
bogey or higher almost every time I walk
off the green.
From the Ross tee, the 12th hole at
Mid Pines looks straightforward – a 360
yard dogleg left with a fairway that slopes
downhill and feeds right to left. A bunker guards the left edge of the dogleg as
it turns. At the green, there’s a massive
bunker to the right and a smaller one to
the left.
Simple, right? Not so quick.
From the tee, if you push a drive right,
there’s a decent chance it will fly through
the dogleg, ending up in scrub grass or
even OB (the right edge of this fairway is
one of the few at Mid Pines with an easyto-reach OB). Pull it left and you’re in the
pines or trapped in the fairway bunker 200
yards from the green. Hit a good drive
with a bit of a draw and you’re sitting
pretty with a smile on your face, until you
walk up to the ball and survey your next
shot.
as with many Donald Ross
designs, the real defense is the green complex. Number 12’s is particularly devilish
and brings us to the second challenge. The
green runs 37 yards front to back and elevates upward the entire way. It’s also thin.
Scary thin. At its narrowest point – where
the pin is often located – it’s a mere eight
steps wide. On either side of those eight
steps are sloped fringe and then bunkers
or steep drops to collection areas. Not
much to shoot for.
Best of all, the entire green is positioned
somewhat diagonally to the fairway, opening more to the left side and moving right
as it goes back and upward. The result
is ridiculously good protection from the
center and right of the fairway, to which
it shows its narrowest width. Approaches
must be deadly accurate and hold a slick,
sloped putting surface. If a player opts to
play low, he must factor the fairway just
in front of the green, which has subtle
banking that deflects rollers, feeding them
left or to the right bunker.
A good drive likely leaves 120-180
yards to the hole, making a missed second
shot the one that starts the downward spiral – missed approach, sand shot over the
green, chip back, three putts on a trademark Ross surface. That’s a seven…and it
looked so simple from the tee, right?
I watched my son birdie this hole
when he was nine. It can be done, but
each shot has to be just right. Teeing off
far beyond the forward tees, he dropped
a drive on the left edge of the fairway,
60-70 yards from the pin. From the left,
the green transforms and opens, looking long and receptive rather than thin
and miserly. On this route, it was drive,
pitch and putt, followed by high-fives all
around. Youth has it easy, me thinks.
Chris Deinlein, my playing partner at a
recent Mid Pines Hickory Open, suggested the left rough as an excellent place
to land a drive for a useable approach
angle. He’s right, if one’s comfortable
flying the fairway bunker and hugging
the pines. For those a bit short off the
tee, another option is to drop a second
shot in front of the green. Sure, nobody
15
likes to lay up on a par four, but an up
and down from there is more likely than
a recovery chip from the rear collection
area, where you often see less than half
the pin and the green slopes away at a
frightening angle.
Regardless of such options, I inevitably
find myself laying four off the green, hoping my chip somehow rolls close enough
for a bogie. And that’s what makes No.
12 my favorite. Though nearly a century
old, it can still seduce players into doing
something stupid.
www.hickorygolfers.com
the road hole bunker, left, presents the same daunting face as its original inspiration in St. Andrews. Right, the Biarritz hole from a side view. The flag on the
15th green is seen in the distance at the horizon. Holes 15 and 16 come back to the ocean as do holes 7 and 8.
MACDONALD
continued from page
1
through the upland meadows and coastal
forest. They are all wonderfully well
suited to hickory play (almost constant
multidirectional wind and rain), but it is
the newest course, The Old Macdonald,
that is in a league of its own.
TOM sits along the northern edge of
the property, abutting much of the inland
side of Pacific Dunes. A natural fire a few
years back cleared out much of the gorse
in that area and revealed in more detail,
many of the landforms. The Redan green
was the first feature to pop out. However,
given the profusion of yellow blooms
when I visited in late April, gorse is clearly among the most resilient flora.
When the idea to develop a tribute
course to Charles Blair Macdonald crystallized a few years ago, Mike Keiser,
Bandon Dunes’ owner and chief visionary, knew this would not be the effort of
a singular golf architect. He brought in
not only such talented golf architects as
Pacific Dunes’ architect Tom Doak along
with Jim Urbina, but for added depth of
knowledge and perspective regarding
Macdonald, consulted extensively with
Macdonald’s biographer, George Bhato
and GolfWeek’s Brad Klein.
One can just picture them all spending
many days at NGLA, looking out on that
great course and Ballyshear, Macdonald’s
residence which overlooks it, thinking
about how they could bring forth new versions of holes with such familiar names
society of hickory golfers
as Redan,
Leven,
Sahara and
Biarritz.
The final
product
features
16 holes
having
precedents
at other
Macdonald
courses
(NGLA,
charles blair macdonald. From the
painting by Gari Melchers.
Yale,
Chicago,
The Creek, Piping Rock and Mid Ocean)
or such wonderful British venues as
St. Andrews Old Course, Royal West
Norfolk, Sunningdale (Old), North
Berwick, Royal St. George, Lundin Links,
Prestwick and Littlestone. One is an
entirely new hole called Ocean, which is
followed by a striking Biarritz.
winds. Brad Klein suggested that a model
be made. Regardless of where your drive
ends up, as you gain the ridge top, an
extraordinary golf vista is revealed with
the red flags marking the distant greens of
the next 14 holes. Also visible are several
holes of Pacific Dunes and even Bandon
Dunes with the Pacific in the background.
The approach to Ocean, a short dogleg
par 4, plays much longer than it looks.
The shot (usually into the wind) plays to
a green perched on top of a high coastal
dune. The reward, once you’ve gained
the western most green on the course, is
a stunning view out over the Pacific. The
following hole, Biarritz, plays downhill
off the top of the dune. It can play as short
as a niblick or require a full driving iron,
depending upon the wind, which usually
plays diagonally from 8 to 4 o’clock, adding to the challenge. After 16, the eastern
sand ridge is again crossed with the last
two holes playing south back to the clubhouse.
A dominating feature is the sand
ridge that runs north-south along the east
edge and sets up, in my humble opinion,
one of the finest reveals in American golf.
After playing the first two holes that run
north on the inland side of the ridge, the
third hole, Sahara, requires a drive over
the top. As with most holes on the course,
the tee shot presents options: play a 150yard shot to the right across the ridge or
play the shot more to the left and challenge the imposing, standing deadwood
atop the ridge. That tree may well become
as iconic as the windmill as National,
provided it doesn’t soon succumb to the
There are so many naturally
occurring golf holes that it is often difficult to determine which way one should
hit off many of the tees. The only clues
are embedded markers with the hole
names; there are no yardage markers, no
ball washers or benches, and no soft green
grass for padded fairway lies. Fairways,
greens and tees simply blend into each
other. The holes play in all directions as
does the wind, which can make the same
tee or approach shot play two or three
clubs different from round to round, or
even just a few groups apart. During our
late afternoon round, we experienced
16
sun, clouds, wind, no wind, rain, no rain
and mist. The light was striking, and the
only other soul on the course was the
resort’s photographer.
There are options off every tee, including the par 3s. There was a successful
effort to make the course fully playable
for those whose longest carries are not so
long. Although TOM plays 6,944 from the
tips, the forward Royal Blue tees are at
4,258, still offering all the challenges and
opportunities of each hole.
The greens are expansive; there can be
several avenues of approach to the hole
both into and even on them. One could
spend a rather pleasant day just playing around with putting and approach
cleeks. Jim Urbina told me he thinks the
golf course “is more fun than any of us
expected it to be.” Brad Klein, despite
being immersed in the course’s development, referred to TOM as having “intriguing detail.”
On many of Charles Blair Macdonald’s
greens, the putts can easily top 100 feet.
No exception at TOM where the aggregate
green size comes in at over or roughly
6.1 acres. To give some perspective, the
Old Course at St. Andrews offers 242,000
square feet of greens or a total of 5.6
acres. The course at Yale comes in at just
over 5 acres, with NGLA’s a bit under 5.
Merion East has 3.1 acres, Winged Foot
West roughly 2.5 and my home course of
Pine Brook in Massachusetts has 2.3.
Bandon Dunes has been called
imposing marker, a lone, dead tree punctuates the skyline on the tee at
Sahara, the third hole. Over that ridge, a grand view awaits the golfer.
“Dream Golf” with good reason. There is
something special about a golf-only resort
with no carts and no structures visible
until almost 2 miles from the entrance off
route 101. The resort was also done with
environmental sensitivity in mind from its
inception. The main clubhouse was moved
well back from the ocean; all greywater is
reused for irrigation and the satellite lodging complexes blend into the low shrub
scrub forest. A full spa is in the works
and, according to Keiser, the omnipresent
winds will soon be tapped for power, thus
reducing the resort’s carbon footprint.
Several moments will always stay
pleasantly in my mind: Coming over the
ridge on Sahara and seeing the course laid
out before me; my tee shot on Redan that
the old macdonald. View on the short No. 5 hole.
came to rest 15 feet from the pin (prelude
to a tap in par); the rainbow over the sand
ridge as we played up Maiden; ringing
the bell after exiting the 16th green even
when I knew there was no one to hear it;
and TOM Head Professional Jeff Brinegar
showing up with persimmon woods.
It was he who coined the term “The
Catcher’s Mitt” in reference to the green
at Maiden, which includes several feet of
elevation changes. Being the first hickory
player on the course was special, although
my mark has since been shattered.
It is a place where one can bring just a
driving iron or brassie, a strong jigger, a
putting cleek and, of course, a sand iron.
However, one would be wise to employ
the no-club-limit, provided they all predate 1936. Caddies and push carts are
always available, and the carts can not
only be wheeled across the greens, they
can be set down on them.
The collective hope of those who
brought us this marvelous golf experience
is that upon finishing the round, players
will have a better understanding of who
Charles Blair Macdonald was and seek to
learn more about his contributions to the
game.
When the course opened officially on
June 1 (with gale force wind and rain) it
looked as if it had been there 100 years.
The date was intended to mark the first
plays 100 years earlier at NGLA.
Kevin Mendik was quite pleased not
to have come in last in the 2010 U.S.
Hickory Open and his youngest son has
the initials CBM. He hasn’t used modern
clubs in many years.
17
www.hickorygolfers.com
CLUB
continued from
1
club does not have the square-toe look of the known examples of golf irons produced in the 1600s and 1700s. Of course, few clubs of this vintage have survived the
ravages of time. Knowledgeable collectors often estimate the number of pre-1800 clubs in the world
at fewer than 25. Most of these clubs are in
museums or private collections and they
very rarely become available for purchase. Nearly all of these clubs
a r e
of Scottish manufacture with a
very
distinctive, squared-off toe. Yet this
club is quite different, with a
rounded
toe and an extra-long, thick
h o s e l
sporting a very heavy, sturdy shaft. The club
itself is 35½-inches long
and weighs
24 ounces. The heel to
toe length of
the clubhead is 4½-inches
and the width
of the blade is 3/16-inch. The hosel
is
9-inches
long with a circumference of 3¼”
and is pinned in
two positions, one high and one
low. The clubhead is
a separate piece of metal from
the hosel. The club
has a lie angle of 62 degrees
with 16 degrees of lefthanded loft. The shaft tapers
from round at the hosel
to square at the grip. There
is a “V” cut into the grip
indicating the correct
placement of the right hand
above the left on the
wood shaft. See the pictures of
how this works with
the left-handed “baseball-style”
grip that was used at
the time. Some thought has been given
to the possibility that the club is
really quite a bit newer, but the world’s
best radiocarbon-dating lab, the Rafter
Radiocarbon Dating Laboratory in New
Zealand, analyzed a wood fragment from the shaft and
concluded that the wood dated to 1760 + or – 40 years. This dating of the wood in the shaft is very significant. Wood
contains a 50 percent moisture content when a tree is first cut
down and must be dried to a 10 percent moisture content for
maximum wood strength. This process takes one to two years. If
the wood is dried too much longer than this, the moisture content
can dip well below 10
loses strength, becomes
like an old tree branch
Once wood reaches the
percent and the wood
brittle, and can snap
dried in the sun. ideal 10 percent, it is
sealed with shellac to
maintain its moisture
content and, hence,
its maximum strength
(this is usually done just
after it has been fashioned
into its final form). So wood
has always been used relatively
quickly once a tree has been cut
down. Radiocarbon dating measures
organic lifespans from the moment
that the organic material starts to decay
(when the tree is first cut down), so the Rafter
Radiocarbon dating should reveal an accurate estimation date for the club’s original manufacture.
A 1720-1800 time frame of production really only
makes sense outside of a Scottish origin as the 18th century
examples of club making that are seen in the R & A, the British
Golf Museum and Gary Wiren’s collection, etc. all seem much
more sophisticated. We know golf was played in the Americas in the 1700s in
both South Carolina and New York. Shipping records from the
Scottish port of Leith show that a shipment of balls and clubs
reached Charleston, S.C. in the 1740s and there is a British military journal article and an ad from a New York newspaper that
documents play on Long Island, N.Y. later in the 1700s. In fact, William Burnett, Governor of New England, who died
in 1729, had an inventory from his estate sale that showed that
there were 10 golf clubs and seven dozen golf balls that were sold.
So we know golf was played to some extent, perhaps more
than we realize, in Colonial America. And this particular
club with its more crude design than the surviving examples of
early Scottish golf clubs was most likely an early attempt to provide an uncommon left-handed club to an early colonial player.
As such, this club could be a very historically significant golf
club; perhaps the earliest known example of an American-made
golf club in existence! Early irons are highly sought after. Two pre-1800 irons sold at
a September 2007 Sotheby’s auction in New York for $151,000
and $181,000 respectively, and both were of the more commonly
known Scottish manufacture.
Member Profile
Mitch Laurance
Myrtle Beach, S.C.
A five-year member of the SoHG, Mitch
is a commentator for ESPN Championship
Billiards and is an actor, television producer,
host and writer of On The Green Golf Video
Showcase from Myrtle Beach, S.C. He is codirector of Whole-In-One, a unique national
golf workshop program. He and his wife,
Ewa, live in Myrtle Beach.
How often do you play hickories?
All the time, and I play only hickories.
What’s in your play set?
• From Louisville Golf: E. Just & Bros. driver and cleek; 23-degree mid-iron; Calamity
Jane putter; A. Whiting mashie niblick
• A brassie from Heritage Golf, St. Andrews
• Star OA Irons from Tad Moore Golf: 52-degree niblick; spade mashie; mashie;
deep face mashie; and mid-iron
Favorite club?
The sweetest club made: my E. Just & Bros.
driver.
Favorite course for hickories?
Eden Course, St. Andrews, Scotland.
Favorite hickory tournament?
My first one, this November at Mid-Pines.
Any particular player or aspect of golf
history you especially enjoy?
Bobby Jones. I love to read about the early players and courses, both in Scotland/Ireland and
America.
Best thing about hickory golf?
The feel of the wood, the sound of the shaft moving through the swing. Hickory golf gives me the
opportunity to get back to the true creativity of the game, to experience the game in a pure way. The
enjoyment I’ve gotten by playing with hickories has lead me to deeper growth both on and off the
course. I had been frustrated with golf and its technological aspect, so much so that I was close to
giving it up. Playing with hickories brought me back to the game. That’s why when I have a chance to
play, I only play my hickories.
One thing you’d like to see the SoHG do or do better?
The SoHG is doing a great job.
carbon dating puts the wood to about 1760, give or take 40 years. Left, the wood and hosel joint just reveals the pin placement. Right, the “V” cut that is
said to act as a guide to correct grip placement for the left-handed player.
society of hickory golfers
18
Ideas to promote SoHG, hickory golf?
For the SoHG: Use social media – I’m currently putting together a hickory Facebook site with Darin
Bunch. (Editor’s note: The SoHG can be found on Facebook.)
For hickory golf: Organize demo day outings at local clubs that would allow people to try hickories.
19
www.hickorygolfers.com
news, notes,
correspondence
news, notes,
correspondence
All American Hickory Open
Connor Lewis, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa,
is putting the finishing touches on a newly
announced event. His All American Hickory Open (AAHO) is a pre-1900 event
planned for July 22-23, 2011 at Downers
Grove, the site of the original Chicago
Golf Club.
He will have a information booth at
the upcoming GCS meeting, Nov. 7-9, at
Southern Pines.
Lewis says he selected this date so that
golfers who enjoy pre-1900 play might
have a shot at the “Gutty Slam,” starting
with the National Hickory Championship
in June, the All American in July, Foxburg in August and the CB MacDonald in
September.
Tournament fee is expected to cost
$200, but Lewis notes this may be reduced
for participants who are willing to share a
room. Illinois residents who do not need
accommodations may also benefit from
reduced fees. Lewis asks that you e-mail
him ([email protected]) for details, or
see him in Southern Pines.
Four tournament divisions are planned,
each with its own equipment guidelines:
Open – Similar to the NHC as in no
golf bags, pre-1900 clubs, no Stewarts
with registration marks, etc.
Reserve – Smooth face clubs
required and splice-neck woods.
Players will be able
to use golf bags
and golf carts if
they require.
Senior –
Identical to the
Reserve Division regarding equipment
guidelines and amenities, but with an age
cutoff.
Four man best-ball – This
division was added for the benefit of those
who have never played pre-1900 golf or
just want to enjoy the experience with
their friends. Lewis also hopes this division will encourage local players to have a
go at pre-1900’s play.
Downers Grove members have shared
photos of early golf on the course as well
as an original scorecard. Course setup will
be as close as possible to 1892 as can be
arranged, according to Lewis.
Lewis has gone to some lengths to create an unusual trophy for the championship. He had a Colorado silversmith create
a full-sized replica of an 1870 Willie Park
Sr. long nose putter. The trophy will be
on display at the AAHO booth during the
GCS meeting in Souther Pines. A half-size
version was made to serve as the traveling
trophy.
hole no.
society of hickory golfers
2 at Downers Grove.
20
Knickers at Kohler
all american hickory open
trophy is a full-size silver replica of an 1870 Willie Park Sr.
long nose putter. Silver copies of
golf balls used to win the championship
will be attached to the trophy.
The winner of the championship will
also be asked to donate his winning golf
ball. From that ball the tournament will
make a cast and a silver copy will be made
and attached to the championship trophy...
either physically or attached to the mount
from which it will hang.
Lewis also plans to follow the tradition of early golfing societies by having
the previous year’s champion serve as the
Honorary Captain for the succeeding year.
Lewis is taking steps to promote the
event through local newspaper and
magazine coverage, state golf associations
and, as of this writing, NBC television, according to Lewis, has committed to some
coverage. Downers Grove was built for the Chicago Golf Club by Charles Blair MacDonald
in 1892. In 1893 it became the first 18 hole
golf course in the United States. In 1894
the Chicago Golf Club became charter
members of the USGA. By 1895 the Chicago Golf Club decided that they needed
more room and relocated to its current site
in Wheaton, Ill. There is some speculation
as to why, but apparently some land to the
east of Downers Grove (their original site)
was leased and the landowner refused to
renew it for 1895. In 1896, the Belmont
Club claimed the course and reverted it
back to the present-day nine holes.
“Seven of the nine greens are original,”
Lewis says. “The course is fantastic for
pre-1900 golf as nearly all of the original
bunkers are intact and completely within
play of a pre-1900 golf shot. On top of
that, I would say seven to eight of the nine
holes are absolutely beautiful.
“I promise it will be a blast from the
past,” he says.
I just spent a week as a volunteer at the
PGA Championship at Whistling Straits
in Kohler, Wis. I was the only person on
the grounds wearing knickers. I had many
comments on them and that gave me the
opportunity to talk to a lot of people about
playing hickory clubs including a couple
from Michigan’s U.P. The lady said she
wants me to send some hickory clubs she
can play with. I also told her about Louisville Golf and their reproductions.
Greg Smith
De Forest, Wisc.
SoHG and research on golf pros
During my research on the history of the
golf professional I have been very pleased
to find several SoHG articles that have
been very beneficial. I am a PGA Master
Professional who wrote my thesis on the
history of the golf professional position
over 20 years ago. Recently retired, I am
working on expanding that thesis into a
book that will trace the history of golf and
how the golf professional position evolved
over the past two centuries. I am very
interested in learning about golf professionals who have made major or unique
contributions to the development of the
game and the profession. The interest of
the Society of Hickory Golfers in the early
game both oversees and here in the U.S.
is very commendable. If any members
would like to offer thoughts or articles that
can assist my research I would be very
appreciative.
Sincerely,
Billy Dettlaff, PGA Master Professional
[email protected]
904-543-0050
One more reason to love
hickory golf
Recently I played in a modern club
member/guest in Maryland with a friend
of mine. Two rounds at two different
courses, better ball format. The second
day course is fully five shots harder than
the first. We shot 73-75 and trailed by only
one shot after the first day of competition.
Then the results of the second day came
in. The team in our flight that shot the
worst score (76) on the first day shot 67 on
the harder course. In the second flight the
team that shot the worst score in the flight
(78)returned a score of 70. Both teams
won their respective flights. Now the
funny coincidence. Those two teams were
paired together. That would never happen
in a hickory event!!!
PS. After leaving for the trip home my
partner called to say the pro at the courses
was livid as to the events.
Bill Sewell
Huntsville, Ala.
Friendly round of hickories
I have been afflicted with a fondness for
hickory golf since my mother bought me
a set of hickory clubs at a church rummage sale in the 1960’s. Unfortunately, I
have never been blessed with an ability
to actually play golf, so although I go out
and flail away with my hickory clubs on
a regular basis I have never progressed
to the point where I could even consider
competitive golf, no matter what clubs I
was permitted to use. I do, however, enjoy
my clubs very much, and I also enjoy your
website. I particularly enjoy the historic
golf writings you present, such as the
articles by Bernard Darwin. Lately I have
not been able to find the index to your
online articles. Sometimes you link to a
specific article on your home page, but I
don’t see a link to the index. Do you still
index the articles?
Steve Tom
Acworth, Ga.
(The website is evolving and changing,
Steve. We’ll pass your thoughts along to
the webmaster.)
Steve also offered a link to a story about
hickory golf that he published a few years
ago. The entire story can be found at:
http://www.random-writings.com/
web_documents/a_friendly_little_round_
of_golf.pdf
For now, though, here’s an excerpt from
A Friendly Little Round of Golf:
... “Walter Hagen?!!” The words escaped
Bob’s lips before he realized how foolish they
sounded.
“I’m impressed” the man replied. “You’d be
surprised at how many people don’t recognize
21
me any more.”
“But what are you doing here?” Bob asked
incredulously.
“You called upon the gods of golf” Walter
replied. “Who’d you expect?”
“I, I don’t know” Bob replied, still in shock.
“Tiger Woods? Arnold Palmer? I really didn’t
expect anybody.”
“Those guys are still alive” Walter said as
he stood up. “You can’t be a god while you’re
alive.”
“Harry Vardon?” asked Bob.
“Harry’s got a weak stomach.” Walter said
casually. “One look at your swing and he’d be
off puking in the weeds. Besides. He’s busy with
Tiger.” He dropped his cigarette on the ground
and crushed it with his shoe. His face turned
serious as he looked at Bob. “Look. Those
guys are great at playing the fairways, but you
don’t play the fairways. You need someone who
knows how to recover from a shot that wanders
off where God lost his overshoes. You need me.
Now are you going to let me teach you how
to play golf or are you going to stand around
arguing that you want someone else?”
“I, I’m not arguing.” Bob stammered. “I’ve
just never met anyone who was . . .” his voice
trailed off.
“Dead?” asked Walter. “You need to get
over that or we’ll never get anywhere. Look
here, kiddo. You got yourself in a jam. You’ve
got less than a week to learn how to play this
game without looking like an idiot in front of
your boss. I can’t work miracles, but maybe I
can help. Let’s forget this hole and go on to the
next. I want to see you drive.”
Dazed, Bob followed Walter to the next tee.
When they got there, he patted his pocket and
then turned back toward the previous green.
“Now just where are you going?” Walter
asked.
“I left my ball in the bunker” Bob replied.
“Forget it” Walter told him. He reached in
his pocket and tossed a ball to Bob. It was an
autographed, Walter Hagen special. “I get
them for free. Endorsements.”
“Still?” Bob asked.
“What can I say. I had a good agent. Now let
me see you swing.” ...
Websites to check out:
worldhickorygolfer.com
This is a new, online magazine edited
by Lionel Freedman. Well-written articles
about hickory play, history, and modern
events and news.
thehickorygolfer.com
This blog by avid hickory golfer Roger
Brinkley offers stories, commentary,
course information and some restoration
tips among other categories.
www.hickorygolfers.com
news, notes,
correspondence
Wee Nip Classifieds
for sale
Hickory rental sets available
as well hickory play sets. Will
travel. Jay Harris, cjharrisdds@
aol.com, 910 295-5083
Playable and collectible
hickory clubs available. Go to
http://shop.vendio.com/stixnstuff/category/100001/. Bob
Georgiade, stixnstuff@
earthlink.net, 919 368-0685
Paperback Tom Stewart
books are still available
Replacement hickory shafts
and grips. MOI matching of
Clubs
http://thehickorygolfer.com
As many SoHG members and hickory fans already know,
Ralph S. Livingston III has completed and published his Tom
Stewart Jr. – Golf Cleek and Iron Maker. Hardback editions are
sold out, but Livingston says there are still a number of paperback editions available.
Well worth the investment, the paperback is 345 pages of detailed photography and club notes by Livingston who has made
Stewart the subject of serious study for many years. The photos
offer a comprehensive catalogue of Stewart’s craft. Many of the
pictured clubs are quite rare, including some of Bobby Jones’
clubs from Augusta National, shown with permission.
Livingston’s research is based on 20 years of collecting, experience, years of correspondence and patient fact-finding.
The book is organized into sections from marks and early
clubs to personalized irons and clubs produced for Francis
Ouimet and Robert T. Jones Jr.
Tom Stewart Jr. – Golf Cleek and Iron Maker has become an
instant classic thanks to Livingston’s eye for detail and extraordinary knowledge of this premier club maker.
The 6-by-9 paperback in black and white is offered at $50
U.S. plus shipping. (Information at www.hickorygolf.com)
wanted
In search of unusual Tom
Stewart clubs and early clubs
by Park, Gray and Carrick. Phil
Gibbs, philc.gibbs@comcast.
net, 480 661-4064
Grandfather’s collection of
hickory and 1930’s clubs. Spalding, Stewart, MacGregor,
Forgan, H&B and more. Would
like to sell entire collection. Please call Pete
at 937-238-2202
List available for review.
Wee Nip ads
Ad price is $7, payable to
SoHG for 1 column, 2-inch ad.
Ads may be sent, along with
a check payable to the SoHG,
to:
Wee Nip Classifieds
338 Gladstone Ave. SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49506
The Hickory Golfer
Course reviews and stories
around the world
or e-mail the ad to:
[email protected]
Strong attraction to Stewart mashie-niblick leads to watery rescue
online search hooked a magnet
3½ inches in diameter with a
had just made the switch to
¼-inch hole in the middle and
playing Stewarts and was
110 pounds of pull.
starting to build a set, but I was
After it arrived, I put the
having a problem finding a suitable
magnet in my coat pocket and
mashie niblick. One night, going
went to buy some rope. As I got
through an assortment of clubs,
out of the car the magnet stuck
I found the perfect club hidden
to the side of the car, nearly ripamong a group of undesirables. I
ping my coat off. Strong stuff.
popped the pin, buffed, reglued,
This might work!
re-pinned and re-gripped the shaft
After a few practice throws
before adding it to my bag.
around the house (nothing broOn its first outing in early
ken), I headed to the pond on
spring, the club had been used
No. 7. I threw the magnet out
only once by the time I apfour times, dragging it slowly
proached No. 7, a par 3 with a
along the bottom with no luck.
little pond skirting the fairway and
Only then did it dawn on me
green. Preparing to hit, I realized
that I was tossing in the wrong
casting upon the still waters. Roger Brinkley demonstrates his technique
the yardage was just outside the
place. I changed direction and
for trolling for prized club heads
mashie niblick’s range. Oh well,
cast again. Slowly pulling in
just lean on it a little and it will
that the water was only waist deep and
the line I felt a sudden stiffstill get there.
gave me permission to “go swimming.”
ness and a definite clicking. I’m excited,
Dumb idea. I leaned too much, took
Suitably attired one day, I gave this try.
but also worried that the clubhead, if it is
a huge divot, snapped the shaft and
Another dumb idea.
the clubhead, won’t stay connected to the
watched helplessly as my prized possesIt’s late March and the water is still 45
magnet so I pull slowly. Finally, the magsion tumbled wildly into the lake. The club degrees; and it’s chest deep, not waist
net, clubhead attached, emerges from the
even righted itself, shaft up, before sinking deep. After three minutes I’m thinking hy- watery grave. The head is still perfect.
to the bottom. Bye-Bye!
pothermia is only a couples minutes away.
Both the club, newly shafted, and the
On the way home I started thinking how
Next idea, Sherlock! How about a remagnet are now permanent fixtures in my
I could retrieve the club. Our pro thought
ally strong magnet attached to a rope. An
golf bag.
by roger brinkley
I
H
communities
Fore Score
A hickory golf revival takes players back to the 1930s.
by Nick Feely
94
Hickory golfers seek a challenge by using clubs with smaller faces than today’s clubs.
older,” Dodds says. “It’s all about
finding a passion for the game again,
without falling in love with the newer
technology.”
The Society of Hickory Golfers
formed in the mid-1990s to support
their efforts and has seen a 30 percent
increase in yearly membership in the
past few years as more people discover
the flaws in the modern game.
It’s a lot more fun
and challenging
than simply buying
a good golf game.”
“Skill is just being driven out of the
game with all of the new technology,”
says Ralph Livingston, one of the first
players to go full-time hickory in 1994.
“It’s a lot more fun and challenging
than simply buying a good golf game.”
Hickory players say that selfcorrecting modern clubs, with wider
SEPT 2010 HANDSHAKE
society of hickory golfers
sweet spots and more grooves, now
make a smooth, consistent golf game
easier to master. Hickory clubs, used
widely on the PGA Tour before 1930,
have faces nearly half the size of today’s
clubs and require the smooth finesse of
an Ernie Els-inspired swing to strike
the ball correctly.
The irony is hickory golfers aren’t
simply a group of curmudgeonly old
men, cut off from the technological
world. Keeping the purity and
challenge of the historical game is
important to hickory players, but
most make substantial use of new
technologies to expand the game’s
popularity. Livingston (hickorygolf.
com) and SoHG President Ken Holtz
(hickorygolfers.com) both operate
websites dedicated to hickory golf.
Dodds, who is on the board for the
SoHG, says that hickory golf is the only
thing that brings out his formal side.
“Normally I’m a T-shirt, ripped
jeans, and funky shoes kind of guy,”
Dodds says. “I think it’s funny that the
only time I wear a tie anymore is on the
golf course.”
M
GOLF: SOCIETY OF HICKORY GOLFERS
M
atthew Dodds adjusts his
cap and pants, tees up, takes
a few practice swings, and
sends the ball down the
fairway with his driver.
Instead of common golf attire, Dodds
dons a brown and yellow plaid cap and
matching knickers that fit snuggly over
his knee-high socks. Dodds tees up
his Gutty-era ball, which consists of
hardened tree sap and feels
more like the outside of a
tire than a golf ball. And in
place of the behemoth drivers featured
on the PGA Tour, Dodds uses his
pre-1930s “brassie” made of polished
brown hickory and brass plating.
Fed up with the technological
takeover of society’s purest game,
Dodds and a group of golfers decided
to take themselves back to the early
1900s and exchange their modern steel
clubs for hickories.
“We were bemoaning the whole big
club deal and the demise of courses,
and that led to a boozy conversation
where we said instead of going newer,
newer, newer, we’ll just go older and
ickory golf has been in the news here and there around the country. Coverage is evolving and will continue to do so as the media
recognizes the honest approach, the lengthy research and knowledgeable
background most hickory players bring to their sport. Above, three headlines/articles from the St. Petersburg Times on an event this past spring
at River Hills Country Club that featured top hickory player and Tampabased pro, Mike Stevens. Far left, Handshake, a new magazine that takes
up trendy topics,
spoke with Matt
Dodds and Ralph
Livingston III
about the lure of
hickory golf. At
left a Burlington
Times-Argus photo of Matt Dodds
at the Vermont
Hickory Open;
and near left, an
article from the
Burlington Free
Press on the same
event.
22
23
www.hickorygolfers.com
338 Gladstone Ave. SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49506
www.hickorygolfers.com
Final Shot
“futures” hickory tour.
Ville Nyman, 1½, practiced his short game
before going out on
the course to watch
his father, Per, win the
2010 Swedish Hickory
Championship.
photo/pehr thermaenius