SEARCHING FOR BOBBY JONES
My best game of golf was an 82 I shot in Pensacola, Florida, when I was living there and playing at least 9 holes every day. Since moving to Louisiana, five years ago, I’ve been lucky to play twice a year. In fact, I had really become dormant until my love of golf was rekindled by the movie, "Bobby Jones, Stroke of Genius".
How can one not be inspired by learning about Bobby Jones: the only person in history to have won the Grand Slam: the only one of all time. After watching the movie, the thought occurred to me that not only was Bobby’s feat awesome; it was even more awesome when one considers that golfing in Bobby’s times found golfers wearing knickers, ties, tie clips, and stroking the ball with hickory shafted clubs. In that moment, my journey searching for Bobby Jones began.
In today’s game, clubs are made of space age titaniums, graphite, and other wonder materials. Today’s players play in nonchalant comfort designed microfiber clothing with open necks and adjustable waists. The golf balls are made of the latest and greatest materials and technology; yet, not one golf great, either before or after him have ever been able to match his record. Playing with an undiagnosed pathology of syringomyelia (a rare spinal-cord disorder), Jones steadfastly maintained his cherished amateur status wearing french cuff shirts held with Walter Hagen’s cuff links gifted to Bobby, knickers, and a tie held in place with a tie clip. I loved Hagen’s quip, "Three bad shots and one good one still makes par". What an great saying for a hacker like me!
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"Golf
is the one game I know |
What was golf like back in the era of history’s greatest golfer? What was it like to play golf wearing a dress shirt, tie and knickers? What was it like to drive and putt the ball with hickory shafted clubs. Where does one start to assemble the necessary tools to begin the journey into the past without breaking the bank?
My first thought was check the net. When I did I found that for $200.00 I could have a brand new knicker outfit. Although the knickers were superb, $200 was a little pricey for me. My immediate thought was Ebay! A quick search for men’s knickers revealed a really nice new pair with argyle socks for $60.00. Further Ebay efforts found a genuine Royal Troon golf cap for $5.00 available for shipment from England. With these discoveries the journey began. Before the knickers arrived, I found a lovely pair of tweed knickers by LL Bean for $26.00 and knee socks for $4.00 so it was a no brainer. Then there appeared a pair of German knickers for $8.00. Within three weeks, I had three pairs of knickers and socks. I even found a brand new black and white wingtip Jones' era pair of Johnston & Murphy golf shoes for $25.00. The golf pro at Briarwood (where I usually play) told me he had two pairs of Johnston & Murphy golf shoes which he paid each $250.00. "Just remember", he said, "don't wear those shoes when it's wet. The water will damage the leather". I was almost ready for a test run.
I’ve been a Lynx loyalist since I began golfing in Florida. When Lynx went bankrupt, I bought every Lynx golf shirt there was in a five state area and sold them on Ebay. I bought and sold other clubs on Ebay and converted that into my full set of Lynx woods and graphite clubs nicely housed in a brown leather Lynx bag adorned with Lynx golf towel, Lynx golf hat, and Lynx golf gloves. Since the journey began I’ve been searching Ebay every day for Lynx golf and other tools that would be necessary for the voyage.
One day I won a brand new, official Wimbledon tennis sweater that still had the Harrod’s of London price tags on it for $12.50 on Ebay. A trip to Walgreen’s with my 3 and 8 year olds found an all silk blue, purple and green golf tie for five bucks. I decided it was time for a test flight even though I didn't have any Jones' era clubs. When I put on the sacred garb, I was met with "You look like a clown" from my wife. What a confidence builder! I already knew when I got to Briarwood I would be the only person on the course wearing knickers, knee socks, dress shirt and tie. I was, to say the least, a little nervous about being all decked out in my Jones' era garb. My wife's encouragement only increased my self consciousness. I was still ready to try it out, all I wondered if whether I had the hutzpah to do it.
Getting closer
31 December 2004
The next question was what car do I drive? I've had a 1980 Mercedes 300 TD station wagon since 1985. It's the most vintage car I have and it's part of me. I've undoubtedly spent more money on it than it's blue book value, but I intend to leave this earth with it still running. It's the same thing as my loyalty to Lynx. My station wagon has seen me through marriage, birth of children, divorce, remarriage, and more children. It was there when I took another look at golf in the beginning in Florida, buying a set of Sam Snead Wilsons and Tom Weiskopf woods purchased at a thrift shop for $3.00 a piece. If I didn't fancy golf, not much damage. Of course I did and here I was.
With everything ready it was time to make the test run. The target day was the first Monday after Christmas. I couldn't wait. Everything was ready on Friday, Christmas Eve. While my sleeping children were dreaming of their gifts from Santa Claus, I was salivating at the thoughts of being back on the course. It's said Christmas is a time of miracles and this past Christmas was no exception. New Orleans was covered in snow for a white Christmas. The interstate between New Orleans and Baton Rouge was closed with black ice. Of course, Briarwood was closed with frozen greens. Every morning after Monday, I'd get up at 6:30am hoping it was the day.
It wasn't. My day didn't happen until the following Friday, New Year's Eve morning.
At 6am I was up, showered, dawned the gear, less the leather shoes (way too wet) and I was off to the course. I had a tee time for 7:40am and wanted to get to Briarwood early enough to warm up with a small bucket of balls. The diesel engine of the station wagon lumbered on while the damp morning air blew through the windows. The fog lights cut through the dense fog and my sweater and wool knickers were just right for the day. The weatherman had been right: 50 degrees and damp fog.
Briarwood
Briarwood's a great course for me because it's close to my office and the staff are really terrific. It's a public course owned by American Golf Corporation of California. As I walked in to get my bucket of balls, cart, and pay the green fees, I fully expected at least one gufaw, but it never happened. Off to the driving range to warm up I went. Still self conscious the balls went everywhere.
The Test Run
The weather was bad so I decided 9 holes would be all for the morning. After a 7 on the lst hole (Par 4) I was off to a slow start. Although it was convenient to blame it on the knickers and starched shirt and tie, that wasn't it. I was just self conscious. I rambled on playing by myself behind a twosome. Then on the 5th hole it happened. A par 5 I was 200 yards out from the green on my first shot. Just as the two fellows in front cleared the green for the 6th hole's tee, I fired away and landed 15 feet from the pin. I could see the two of them looking at each other wondering who was this guy dressed up in the knickers and tie ( I had gotten a few looks before from these same players). I two putted and came in one under par. What a rush. Better than making a birdie, I was feeling pretty good from the looks these guys were giving each other, like "who is that masked man?". The rest of the morning was uneventful and I finished the test run returning home. Like always the allure of the game is still there. IF I did it once, I can do it again. It just keeps me coming back.
Still Searching For Now
Since the 31st I've been putting together an ensemble of wood shaft clubs and woods ( from Ebay of course).
The other day I was talking with the golf pro at Briarwood about my test run and I'm making arrangements when I've got all my Bobby Jones era clubs and bag together to pay 18 holes with my usual Lynx gear and then go back another day with the spirit of Bobby Jones in knickers, french cuff shirt, tie, knee socks, and hickory stick clubs and woods and compare scores. I think that I will probably do better with Lynx than the hickory clubs, but we'll have to see. In the meantime, I'm still on Ebay buying 1920 and 30 golf clubs and accessories. I've also found a few deals on Bobby Jones shirts, sweaters, jackets and Bobby Jones' instructional videos too on Ebay. I think it so amazing that using hickory clubs and knickers and french cuff shirts and tie, Bobby Jones is the only golfer in history to make the Grand Slam. So for now I'll continue to search and shortly I hope to have a small glimpse of what a fantastic golfer Jones had to be when I do my experiment with the past. Until then. I'll still be searching for Bobby Jones on Ebay, of course.
SEARCHING FOR BOBBY JONES
The Search Continues
In 1930, when Bobby Jones won the Grand Slam, he carried 14 clubs in his bag. The 14 clubs were a Driver, Brassie ,Spoon, Long Spoon, Driving Iron, Iron (1), Mid-Iron (2), Mashie-Iron (3), Iron (4), Mashie (5), Spade-Mashie (6), Mashie-Niblick (7), Niblick (8), Cleek Iron, Concave-Sand Wedge and his famous putter, Calamity Jane.
The Walter Hagen sand iron with concave face and oversized flange was patented in 1928 by Edwin K. MacClain and manufactured by L.A. Ypong Co. The USGA outlawed the club in 1931, but not before Bobby Jones carried and used the club during his 1930 Open Championship victory at Hoylake en route to capturing golf’s Grand Slam. This unusual and very scarce vintage club enabled escape from the deepest rough!
I happened to actually see on of these clubs on ebay, but the opening bid of $395.00 was out of my budget.
I also started checking other resoures, including www.hickorygolf.com which is a really good source of information and resources. For the most part; however, I stuck with Ebay and by Sunday, the 20th of February, I had in my bag an Indestro Driver, Windsor Brassie, Ky Laffoon Spoon (pyratone shaft), a Hendry & Bishop Putter, Driving Iron, Iron (1); and Iron (4); Anderson of St. Andrews Special Lofting Iron; Glasgow Company Special Niblick; and D.M. CoLtd. Glasgow Rangefinder Rustless Niblick with a bent shaft.
At 7am on Sunday morning, my wife and got to Briarwood. With no warmup we opted for 9 holes and the folks at Briarwood let us use the back nine so we wouldn’t have any pressure. The first thing I noticed was the ball off the tee flew in a much lower trajectory than with the Lynx and the balls rolled a lot further than usual.
Although it didn’t bother me at first, wearing a tie like Bobby Jones and his contemporaries did, became a distraction and sometime an irritant. I could feel the pull of the tie in my neck.
The other thing I realized immediately was forget whatever it was I thought I knew. Each club is very different and the clubs I liked the best had suede handles on them.
The Ky Laffoon Spoon had a small handle and it was much harder to control than the others. The Rustless Rangefinder might have done a little better if it had a straight shaft. The bow in the shaft I thought wouldn’tt be a problem, but it was.
After about four holes, I developed a blister where my wedding ring wore against my hand and without a glove, it got worse as we played on.
Back in Bobby Jones’ day, golfers didn’t use gloves.
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"The
difference between a sand trap and water is the difference between a car
crash and an airplane crash. You have a chance of recovering from a car
crash." |
When I bought the Ky Laffoon spoon, I had never heard the name before so I did some research. Wow!
The wondrously named Ky Laffoon, a native American Indian, from Zinc, Arkansas, was a professional golfer of note in the middle part of the twentieth century who was equal parts talent and out-of-control temper. He was a great character who loved canary yellow slacks and matching shoes. He was good enough to play the PGA Tour, win a few tournaments in the 1930s and contend in a couple of majors. But his putting would often get the best of him, bringing out his worst. Missed putts inflamed his legendary temper. He just couldn't stand it when he missed a makeable putt, an attitude you might decipher when you understand that his nickname for any of his putters was "my son-of-bitch."
His anger was such that he would violently abuse his putter, or himself. After a particularly bad bout of choke-and-puke putting in a tournament, Laffoon drove to the next event with the putter tied to the rear bumper of the car. Another time, after missing a short putt, he threw his putter in the air, positioned himself underneath its downward flight and, instead of catching it, allowed it to hit him in the head. He once became so enraged at missing a short putt that he slugged himself in the chin, knocking himself out.
In the 1940 U.S. Open Ed (Porky) Oliver shot a 71 in the fourth round for a 287 total to apparently get into a playoff with Lawson Little and Gene Sarazen. But he was disqualified, along with five others, for starting his final round ahead of schedule. With a storm brewing, the six players dashed to the first tee. Former USGA administrator Joe Dey was the starter, but he was having lunch at the time. A marshal told the players not to start before their scheduled tee time, but they didn't listen and teed off. After the round the USGA disqualified E.J. Harrison, Leland Gibson, Johnny Bulla, Ky Lafoon, Claude Harmon, and Oliver. In the locker room, when told the bad news, Oliver broke into tears. Both Little and Sarazen insisted that Oliver be included in the playoff, but the USGA stood by its decision to disqualify the golfers.
Ky and Titantic Thompsonr were pictured in several Magazines, including LIFE and COLLIER'S, with exploits and freak bets described as they toured the country. Ky went on the PGA tour and won 5 ot 6 of his first tournaments after the barrage of publicity. He faded however, as his fellow Pro's poured the whiskey to him.
Using the hickory shafted clubs is nothing like the golf I've played before. When I contemplate that Bobby Jones and his contemporaries wore ties, no gloves, and had to really know in depth each club in their bags with the ever present possibility of broken or bent shafts, Bobby Jones' feat of the Grand Slam, to me, is even more fantastic.
For now, I'm still putting together a Bobby Jones' set of clubs, although I rather doubt I'll have the Walter Hagen concave sandwedge, now or ever. You never know, if I win the Louisiana lottery I might get one, but until then I'll be happy just attempting to play golf with the old hickory sticks. Thanks for stopping by and happy links.
The Year of the Grand Slam-1930
By 1930 money was scarce because of the depression, so people did what they could to make their lives happy. Movies were hot, parlor games and board games were popular. People gathered around radios to listen to the Yankees. Young people danced to the big bands. Franklin Roosevelt influenced Americans with his Fireside Chats. The golden age of the mystery novel continued as people escaped into books, reading writers like Agatha Christie, Dashielle Hammett, and Raymond Chandler.
Here's some facts about the 1930's
Population: 123,188,000 in 48 states
Life Expectancy: Male, 58.1; Female, 61.6
Average salary: $1,368
Unemployment rises to 25%
Huey Long proposes a guaranteed annual income of $2,500
Car Sales: 2,787,400
Food Prices: Milk, 14 cents a qt.; Bread, 9 cents a loaf; Round Steak, 42 cents
a pound
Lynchings: 21
Topping the music charts for 1930 was the song, "Happy
Days Are Here Again"
HAPPY DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN Benny Meroff So long sad times Pull along bad times We are rid of you at last Howdy gay times Cloudy gray times You are now a thing of the past Happy days are here again The skies above are clear again So let's sing a song of cheer again Happy days are here again Altogether shout it now There's no one Who can doubt it now So let's tell the world about it now Happy days are here again Your cares and troubles are gone There'll be no one from now on From now on... Happy days are here again The skies above are here again So, Let's sing a song of cheer again Happy times Happy nights Happy days Are here again!
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Some events of 1930:
1. February 10th -186 are indicted in Chicago in huge rum running plot involving $50,000,000.00
2. February 13th - Greta Garbo's first talkie picture (Anna Christie) opens in which she asks for a glass of whiskey.
3. June 12th - Germany's Max Schmelling declared worlddddddd heavyweight champion after Jack Sharkey throws a low blow.
4. June 30th - Britain promises independence for Iraq
5. July 12th - BOBBY JONES WINS THE U.S. OPEN!
Check out this video below. It takes a little while on high speed and it takes a few minutes on dial up .
Sunday 27 February 2005
The complete set is almost done. Of late I've been an Ebay addict chasing auctions and I've almost done it. As you can see from the video, I hit the links Sunday morning bright and early. It rained all night and early morning before I got there so Briarwood was pretty wet and I seemed to have hit every water filled hole there was. I kept thinking of the old water irons they made in Scotland that had holes in the club to let the water pass wishing I had one. In between thoughts of water clubs I kept repeating Bobby Jones words, "Golf is a game of recovery". Well I had lots of recovery to do, but I did notice that wearing a tie even for golf one can become accustomed to. The tie didn't bother me and I removed my rings so my hands were comfortable and no blisters. I got an elephant leather 1920 era golf bag and restored the leather; however, I didn't remember to put a towel on it and with all the mud, my knickers became a substitute for the towel I forgot to bring. If you looked at the video, it's a short clip I took on Sunday and through the marvels of computer technology made the first clip look like an early 1900's movie. The second clip is the original footage.
Know Thy Clubs
Without being familiar with each club and its performance with me, Sunday's brief mud sloshed encounter left me knowing that there is no reliance on any numbering system like we use today. One might have a 3 iron made by Lynx (Go Lynx!) or Calloway or some other manufacturer and one has a general idea about the club. These clubs are completely different. I have a special lofting iron which for me performs similar to a 7 iron with lots more height . With the other clubs I would guess on my shots and usually either undershoot or overshoot. So before my next sortie with the hickory sticks, I'm planning on several hours and lots of buckets of balls with each one and more familiarity with their names.
Monday 28 February 2005
The Bobby Jones Club Set
The balance of the irons arrived. I'm good to go with the irons and I read there were no limits on the number of clubs one could have. Checking out some of the modern day players at www.hickorygolf.com I noticed in addition to the clubs Bobby Jones used, several of the big name players used a jigger and sammy club so I've added that to the bag.
Bobby Jones' set of clubs he won the Grand Slam with in 1930 consisted of the following:
Woods: Driver, Brassie, 3 wood, and a Long Spoon.
Irons: Driving Iron, Iron, Mid Iron, Mashie Iron, Iron, Mashie, Spade Mashie, Mashie Niblick, Niblick, Cleek Iron, Walter Hagen Concave Sand Wedge, and Calamity Jane Putter. There's an awesome reproduction of the set (sans the Hagen Concave Sand Wedge [they've substituted a Giant Niblick for it] at Heritage Golf in the U.K. and you can find it at: Heritage Golf - Replica golf clubs ancient and modern from the home of Golf. The set is 2400 pounds sterling.
The Bobby Jones Club Set the Ebay Way
The only iron I'm missing now is the Calamity Jane Putter but one is one the way. I have Hendry Bishop and George Nicoll clubs mostly. If you notice the large headed club at the bottom it's a Walter Hagen Concave Sand Wedge. The others included are Maxwell (Mitre Cleek Mark) midiron; James Gourlay (Sammy Club); Ernest Banas (Cleek); Rowan (Jigger); J. Bradie Breeze (Iron); Cann & Taylor (Spade Mashie); Benefick (Mashie Niblick) and Anderson of St. Andrews (Special Lofting Iron). All came from Ebay and a special thanks to Ken (golfer48) on Ebay from Naples, Florida. His clubs were just awesome and he did a super job on shipping. He even included an antique mesh golf ball which is the kind Bobby Jones used in 1930. The mesh golf ball added another layer of difficulty for Bobby Jones opposed to modern day golfers, but that's later. For now, I'm waiting on the Calamity Jane, a Forgan driver, and some day over the rainbow I might find a long spoon. I'm just pleased that the set is almost done. I've started making a list of Scottish Club Makers and their brands and approximate decades of manufacture. You can find it here: Scottish Club Makers, Brands, and Cleek Marks
The clubs and the elephant hide 1920's golf bag.
For now I'll be waiting on shipment and trying to get enough mesh golf balls (I anticipate I'll lose a few) to go 18 rounds with the hickory sticks in knickers, tie, and do the same in my usual attire and my Lynx.
Thanks for stopping by and in the meantime, happy links.
Golf Event for Under Privileged Kids With Proceeds to Robert T. Jones, Jr. Foundation
The thought occurred to me that it would be a neat thing to put together a tournament event with everyone having to use mesh balls, wood sticks, wearing knickers and ties, raffling some clubs, and allowing underprivileged kids to play for free with free lessons introducing them to a positive opportunity for them in honor of Bobby Jones. It's something I"d like to see happen.
A New Twist To The Game
Since beginning this adventure, each new twist adds another dimension to making things as accurate as possible. I contacted the director of the Robert Tyre Jones, Jr. scholarship fund discussing my idea about some sort of benefit for kids and honor Bobby Jones. In our discussion about what a great feat Bobby Jones achieved with the Grand Slam, he mentioned that in 1930, mesh balls were used and there was no standardization of golf balls so one could get a dead ball, adding a new twist to the difficulty in playing golf then. With that the search for mesh golf balls began. The best deals I could find on Ebay for mesh balls averaged about $10.00 a ball. Not wanting to take any chances for the day of the 18 holes, I opted for acquiring a dozen or so balls. One that I bought was a keepsake from St. Andrews from a 40 year golfer who, when he learned what I was doing, told me about the ball and sent me to Oakhurst Golf Course in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. He said he thought they sold reproduction mesh golf balls.
Visitors to Oakhurst Links have one of the most unique experiences available in golf today – an experience that is not generally available anywhere else in the world, because when you visit Oakhurst you play the course just as golfers did in 1884. Leave your cavity-back irons and titanium drivers (and even your golf tees) in your trunk! Golf at Oakhurst is played with replica 19th century long-nose hickory-shafted clubs and gutta-percha balls hit from sand tees. Use of this replica equipment, which is made in St. Andrews, Scotland and Birmingham, England exclusively for Oakhurst Links, is included in your green fee. They didn't have mesh balls, but they do sell reproduction gutta-percha balls so I ordered a few.
History of the Golf Ball from Gutta-Percha to the Mesh Balls used by Bobby Jones in 1930
There are two reference books I've been reading that really have superb information on the history of golf: "The Art of Golf Antiques" by Gill King and "The Ultimate Golf Book" by Charles McGrath, David McCormick, and John Garrity. The information below comes from these works.
Featherie balls, which you can find on Ebay, were made with leather stuffed with feathers. It was a long and laborious process to produce featheries which made them very expensive. So expensive, in fact, that only the wealthy and royals could afford to play golf.
The Featherie
In 1845, the Reverend James Paterson of Dundee, Scotland, was a missionary in India and shipped a Hindu statute to his brother, Robert. The packing material used were chunks of gutta-percha ( a rubbery substance made from the sap of sapodilla trees). Robert tried to use the material to resole his boots, but it didn't work so Robert made a golf ball from the material and tested it at St. Andrews later in 1845. Whether he liked it or not is a mystery because Robert's other brother who lived near Edinburgh, Scotland, began making and selling gutta-percha balls. The first balls were smooth until it was noticed that used balls with dings on them flew straighter. After that the gutta-percha balls were produced with grooves. The balls were not without drawbacks. On cold days they would explode. On hot days they became gummy. The Royal and Ancient actually made a rule that if the gutta-percha ball exploded, the player must place a new ball on the site of the explosion.
The Percha-Gutta Ball
Gutta-perchas were inexpensive and became the standard which removed the economic barrier the featherie balls placed on the common man. Golf was no longer a game for just the wealthy and royal. Golf in Scotland flourished.
Golf Tees
An interesting development happened in the United States. George C. Grant, one of the first African American dentists, patented the first wooden golf tee in 1899. Prior to his invention, players had to tee off by using a mound of sand. Grant didn't like getting his hands dirty with the sand mounds and the golf tee was invented.
The Haskell Ball
Sometime around 1900, an American, Coburn Haskell, had a friend at B.F. Goodrich Rubber Company in Akron, Ohio. Haskell developed a ball made from tightly round rubber strands that became known as the "Haskell" after its inventor. The balls also had a nickname of the "Bounding Billy's" because the early balls exploded on impact because of irregularities in the winding process. The big advantage; however, was distance. The Haskell had unquestionable superiority over the gutta-percha balls in distance. The Europeans resisted the rubber Haskell even going so far to say that the balls were unfit and anyone using them was unmanly because of the added distance. When professional players in Europe began winning tournaments using the Haskell ball, gutta-percha balls became a thing of the past. Although the Haskells were more expensive than gutta-percha initially, with acceptance they became much cheaper than the gutta percha.
In the early 1900's, Frank H. Mingay, of Berfield, Scotland, got a British patent for the first liquid center golf balls. Spalding bought the patent and produced the "Witch" liquid center golf ball.
In 1907, William Tyler, an English engineer, received a patent for a dimple covered ball which A.G. Spalding bought. Spalding produced dimple balls until 1912 when mesh and lattice (square or fishnet) became the pattern golfers favored well into the 1930's including Bobby Jones who used the mesh balls during 1930. There's a photo below of a mesh ball autographed by Bobby Jones in 1930.
The Mesh Ball
A Greater Appreciation of Titanium
When I played on Sunday the 27th of February, I grabbed the lofting iron which approximates my normal 7 iron and seem to do pretty well with it. As I walked from the cart to the ball holding the club, the club head simply fell off the club. It looked like the wood inside the hosel just separated. So much for the lofting iron.
I was not very happy with the play that morning so I immediately went and bought a large bucket of balls and headed to the driving range. One of the pros from the golf shop showed up and was looking at the clubs when I went to hit one, and the special club snapped and the head went out onto the driving range. No idea what I did, if anything, the shaft simply snapped and off went the head. Two in one day.
Club heads don't do much without shafts and there isn't any place in Baton Rouge that I know where one can have new hickory shafts and grips replaced. I got a couple of clubs with no grips and used leather tennis racket grips which are pretty comfortable, cost $9.00 and work. Temporary fix for what was becoming a lot more complicated than I first envisioned.
I started checking hickorygolf.com and through hickory found classic golf in Omaha, Nebraska. They have a facility to replace grips, shafts, and whatever else one might need for hickory. So, the club heads and two St. Andrews wood heads I bought on Ebay from a lady in Scotland for $10.00 are now on their way to Omaha.
St. Andrews Woods
Sunday 6 March 2005
I called Briarwood early Sunday morning and the course was booked solid. After several calls, the traffic lightened around 1:30pm so I made a mad dash and got ready to play the front nine. While I was teeing up, another golfer by himself asked me if I minded playing together. I gave him a cautious no and warned him that right now my golf game as a budding hickory hacker was reminiscent of the first Haskell golf balls, "Bounding Billy's". With that said, we were off.
When he saw the hickory shafts and clubheads, he immediately said he had bought a set of blades and couldn't play with them. His weapon of choice was a nice set of perimeter weighted Callaways. He also said the caddies at St. Andrews would be proud of me playing in knickers and a tie.
To say the least I imagined Bobby Jones' first tournament at St. Andrews when he was playing against Harry Vardon, got so upset he walked off the course without finishing, remarking St. Andrews was nothing but a cow pasture, or words to that effect. Every shot was truly an adventure. I was all over the course, but I trudged on.
Two incidents gave me hope that I can develop a modicum of efficiency with the "blades". On the fifth hole ( I think it was the 5th- I got so frustrated I quit keeping score) I drove from the tee and landed smack dab behind a tree in the rough. The tree, of course, was directly in front of me and between my ball and the pin. Add the water hazard surrounding the green some 100 or so yards away and you get the picture. I pulled out the "Sammy" iron (didn't have my favorite lofting iron because it was on its way to Omaha) and wacked the ball. The ball went past the tree over the water and landed right at the foot of the green. Wow! There's hope for me yet, I thought, or more accurately, I just hoped lady luck would smile again.
I should have played with the early, defective Haskell balls because the rest of the holes were all over the place until I got to the 9th. Wonders never cease some time. I teed up and chose to use the Forgan spoon. Naturally, I was second to hit. The ball left the tee ending up twenty feet past the Callaway driven ball and landed on the lip of the green. It was an awesome shot compared to its predecessors that day. It was sweetened by the irritated look I observed on the other golfer's face. He was really a terrific fellow who not only gave me some pointers (he was really a good golfer and gentleman) but also encouragement to keep going on the journey. And so the adventure continues.
I see that there's tons more practice ahead to develop some efficiency with the clubs because right now I don't have enough history with them and every shot is true adventure generally coupled with a few milliseconds of intense anger and the ever present feeling of frustration. I'm also waiting for more mesh balls to arrive. At this point I've got three. They're averaging $10.00 a ball and until I'm more comfortable with the clubs, I'm going to wait to try a practice round adding the new element of mesh balls. I spent enough money on lost balls Sunday. Right now I've got all I can handle until I'm more familiar and consistent with niblicks, mashies, cleeks, jiggers, special niblicks and the rest. No doubt, hitting mesh balls will bring new thrills and spills. More "the agony of defeat" than "the thrill of victory" I speculate.
Some day this week coming, Calamity Jane should arrive and within the next two weeks the St. Andrews woods and broken clubs should be back with new shafts and buffalo hide grips. The mesh balls should be in and the time fast approaches.
The thought occurred to me on the course while I was groping around how Tiger Woods and the rest of the pros would do playing with the replica set of Bobby Jones' 1930 clubs from Heritage Golf in the U.K. I'm certainly no seer, but I have an idea they might need some crash practice in the use of the hickory sticks.
My goal for the next week is to steal some time for at least two large buckets of balls on the driving range. And I'll try 9 holes again this coming Sunday morning.
Tuesday 8 March 2005
I was able to clear my calendar for a couple of hours in the morning so I headed out to Briarwood. This time I didn't have time to use the knickers and tie but I grabbed the clubs and was off for 9 holes. Today was a different day than Sunday and although I'm not there, I know I will be. I noticed that by teeing up much higher than usual made a big difference in performance. The other thing was forget about being afraid to just knock the hell out of the ball . Great result with most of the balls straight on the fairway. With a little more practice I know I can be acceptable with the hickory sticks. Like I said, I'm not there yet, but as a result of today I at least know I can do it. Other event was the arrival of Calamity Jane. There were several models of Bobby Jones' famous putter made by Spalding. I won the original c. 1934 wood shaft putter in near mint condition on Ebay. Spalding produced three pyratone shaft models respectively in 1935, 1937, and 1939. There was a wood shaft custom forged model made in 1960, but I was lucky enough to win one of the first series. You'll find a photo of it below which I couldn't imagine taking except on a Slazenger shirt from the Augusta National Golf Shop where Bobby Jones built his homage to St. Andrews. I also learned why there's a lot of folks who like Forgan woods. There is a solid cracking pop one hears when the club strikes the ball unlike some of the other woods I've used. I'm not there yet, but I know I will be. I liked Bobby Jones' quote which describes my Sunday experience, "Sometimes the game of golf is just too difficult to endure with a golf club in your hands".
Thursday 10 March 2005
I made it to the range. I don't think Bobby Jones had the same problem I've been experiencing because I'm certain he used new clubs. It's a strange feeling to strike a ball and immediately feel the weight of one's club crumble and watch the brassie's head catapult in front sailing into the distance.
Another new adventure is happening with some clubs when they arrive. They look great with nice grips. Just because they have a nice looking grip doesn't mean it won't change when using the club. I had a niblick just arrive. When I struck the ball the grip started moving. On a not so square hit the shaft reverberated with enough force to cut my middle finger.
In the process of this adventure, I'm becoming a part time club repairer. New grips, reset wood heads, buff and polish rusty clubs bringing them back to some semblance of their former glory. One of the side effects of buffing is the necessity to watch out for small wire threads on the ground that fall off the buffing wheel. I've already picked up two which can be removed with tweezers; however, it takes a little time when you need readling glasses like me to find the best approach and remove the irritant.
I learned the necessity of checking and double checking every club, grip and shaft before the final day. Today also reinforced the necessity of backups, extra grips, etc. because if anything goes wrong there's no quick fix or replacement in town.
Friday 11 March 2005
7 a.m. sharp I was at Briarwood, grabbed a cart and hit the back nine. Pure double bogie golf but at least I had a recordable score. I spoke with Randy Jensen today from Classic Golf in Omaha. Super guy who directed me to www.playhickory.com which is another good resource site that includes pointers on club repair for both woods and irons. He plays exclusively with hickory sticks and from what I've read is a terrific golfer as well. End result was a 55 this morning. He also told me Bobby Jones played with Spalding dimple balls in the 1930 Grand Slam so it's back to the drawing board to search for more balls. I read that the mesh balls faded into history because the dimple balls were aerodynamically more sound. Another point of interest I found was that the Walter Hagen Concave Sand Wedge used by Bobby Jones in 1930 was outlawed because it was suggested that the ball could actually strike the club more than once.
Saturday 12 March 2005
Another 7am start on the back nine. Today reinforced some progress. I shot a 48. Went to the range after and left with one cracked shaft on an iron and another wood head went flying off into the distance at the range. Too many golfers to get the head today but the staff said they'd have it for me in the morning. So tomorrow I'll have a chance to put some of the pointers from www.playhickory.com to use. Found more information on clubs before matched sets came along in the 1920's. Before that, golfers bought individual clubs and assemble their own set of clubs they found comfortable. Glad to hear that's the way it was done because that's pretty much what I've been doing. Buying and trying different clubs and grips to see what works best for me. I had tried the baseball grip yesterday but went back to using the interlocking grip today and seemed to have more control I imagine because that's what I normally use. I tried to put to use this morning another Bobby Jones' quote: "It is nothing new to say golf is a game played one stroke at a time. But it took me years to realize it". I think the allure of the game is best described in another Bobby Jones' quote I found:
"Golf is assuredly a mystifying game. It would seem that if a person has hit a golf ball correctly a thousand times, he should be able to duplicate the performance at will. But this is certainly not the case."
Sunday 13 March 2005
Putting. Putting. Putting. On three holes failed to put the ball in the cup and blew it on the 9th putting. Whether it's 200 yards out or 3 inches from the pin, either way it's a stroke so no 48 today but no frustrated feelings like last Sunday.
When Bobby Jones as 19 and an engineering student from Georgia Tech, he was playing in his first open at St. Andrews playing so badly he stormed off the course without finishing his second round. Alex Smith, the 1906 U.S. Open champion, said "It's a shame, but he will never make a golfer ... too much temper".
I love reading about the road trudged by Bobby Jones. In 1923 at the U.S. Open at Inwood Country Club on Long Island, New York, he had to overcome two final round, out-of-bounds penalties, a disastrous double bogey on the seventy-second hole. The next day, before a crowd of 10,000, Bobby won a playoff with Bobby Crunkshank by two strokes, closing the match with a stunning 200 yard iron shot from the right rough over a guarding pond, the ball stopping eight feet from the hole.
In 1926, Bobby Jones became the first player to win both the U.S. and British Opens in the same year. In 1927 he successfully defended his British Open title on the Old Course at St. Andrews which he now considered "the most fascinating golf course I have ever played."
Writing about Bobby, Bernard Darwin wrote, "Like the man in the song, many of Mr. Jones opponents are tired of living but feared of dying...however their fears are rarely unduly protracted since they usually die very soon after lunch."
Herbert William Wind wrote about Bobby, "Everybody admired him...not just dyed in the wool golfers, but people who had never struck a golf ball or had the least desire to do so. They admired the ingrained modesty, the humor, and the generosity of spirit that were evident in Jones' remarks and deportment."
This is an autographed ball by Bobby Jones from one of his four U.S. Open victories.
Many thanks to Charles McGrath, David McCormick & John Garrity for their book The Ultimate Golf Book and Gil King and Bruce Curtis for The Art of Golf Antiques which were the sources of the Bobby Jones' information above.
The Robert Tyre Jones, Jr. Event
Picture the Augusta National, Bobby Jones' homage to St. Andrews, hosting the Bobby Jones' Invitational to raise money for foundations serving children. Tiger Woods (he has the Tiger Woods Foundation to Help Kids) and other top professionals of our era arrive wearing knickers, knee socks, and ties and get ready to tee off on the first hole using only hickory shafted clubs and mesh balls. That's my idea, anyway. I spoke with a media friend who thought such an event in honor of Bobby Jones would generate all kinds of media exposure and money for needy children. If you have any suggestions please let me know.
The Problem Playing Hickory These Days
I've noticed of late that after playing irons for a bit, the heads begin to loosen. Checking www.playhickory.com was worth the visit; however, the suggested procedure is to remove the pins (if you can find them), clean the inside of the hosel and the shaft, epoxy the shaft back and insert a new pin. I suspect this wasn't as much a problem for Bobby Jones in his day because his clubs were probably new. The other thing I found at www.playhickory.com is that their players take their woods and restore them inserting a fiber insert into the wood clubs because modern balls (which I've been using) have much higher compression and harder covers than balls back in Bobby Jones' day making it hell on hickory clubs. I suspect that might be part of the problem. Also, my friend Ken (golfer48) on Ebay told me that modern players hit the ball making divots much, much more than the golden age players who hit their balls with more of a sweeping motion not making divots. At this point I'm waiting to see if there might be an easier way to secure the club heads on the irons. In the meantime, I'm researching sources for the pins for the clubheads.
The Elusive Search For Bobby Jones
8 April 2005
The search has been an adventure which has given me the opportunity to meet some awesome folks on Ebay along the journey. My friend Ken Dargel in Naples, Florida (golfer48) on Ebay introduced me to Peter Georgiady, (Peter's Bio Found Here )who it turns out is a well known authority on antique, hickory golf clubs who gave me some encouragement and pointers on club repairs. Fred Palumbo in California introduced me to Chuck Furjanic (www.golfforallages.com)who has supplied me with new whipping and playable grips along with some pointers on doing the whipping on clubs. And Gary Hilgers of Minnesota (blinkgolf) on Ebay who, when he learned what I was doing, helped out by giving me a real deal on reproduction dimple (Bobby Jones' era) golf balls and brand new mesh balls so I'm now able to play at Briarwood with balls compatible with the antique clubs which is helping to save all kinds of problems and fixing of problems on the clubs with new balls which just eat up the clubs and spit them out. Lastly, oldmasterputters (www.oldmasterputters.com) on Ebay supplied me with 9 brand new hickory shafts turned for the club heads I choose so I can bite the bullet and make them playable using the process of removing the pins, cleaning the hosels and putting in new pins and epoxy. After that's done I'll be ready to put on brand new playable grips Chuck Furjanic supplied.
The search for woods that work for me has also been an adventure. If I've bought one, I've bought at least 20 on Ebay. After checking them and restoring the woods, I try them out. What an adventure. I'm still waiting for the heads from Scotland being shafted to arrive.
The First Bobby Jones Traditional Tournament
25 November 2005
THE TOURNAMENT
It had been some time since I thought about a tournament dedicated to golf play in the tradition of Bobby Jones during the great year of the Grand Slam, so I just got tired of waiting. With a little planning, the first Bobby Jones Traditional Tournament was held this year the day after Thanksgiving. Although our numbers were small, it was great to learn others find the search for ultimate excellence as enigmatic and desirable as I did.
The Original Idea
The original idea proposed to the Bobby Jones' heirs is a tournament at Augusta National with players such as Tiger Woods, DiMarco and other professionals coupled with Hollywood celebrities to honor Bobby Jones by playing in knickers, no gloves, ties, and only hickory clubs and era balls with the proceeds going to the benefit of needy children. ( The balls existing when Bobby won the Grand Slam in 1930 were not high compression hard cover like today's balls). I've had media friends tell me such an event would receive loads of coverage and generate tons of revenue for kids. The tournament, even if a one day event, would be in honor of Bobby Jones with the proceeds raised going to the families of children whose parents were killed in Iraq or to children's charities chosen by the Jones' family, the National, and the players in their names. To date there's been no response. I have heard that the sponsors ( I won't mention the one professional and sponsor I directly heard about) won't allow their professionals to play in such a match. Further, I've heard that some of the professionals don't want their image to suffer by playing golf as Bobby Jones played in the public arena. (Fear they won't do so well!) It's a pity that some folks care more about their egos then contributing one day to make a huge contribution to kids and honoring Bobby Jones. It sure would be supercalifragilisticexpialidotious to watch the pros on TV or the Golf Channel playing in the fashion of the golden era without the ability to hide behind perimiter weighting, high compression hard cover balls, etc.
With that in mind, all players were encouraged to play with hickory clubs using mesh balls garbed in knickers, long sleeve shirt and tie. Some players went all the way and some came part of the way . Our tournament philosophy was progress not perfection. Playing best ball in teams the two top teams were Dorhauer-Spring and Richey-Spring.
Appearing with this month's copy of Cigar Aficionado smoking Cohiba Siglos are Doug Dorhauer, Cory Richey, and S.A. "Stosh" Spring, II.
Some of the calculations made before using Calamity Jane.
Appearing with this month's copy of Cigar Aficionado smoking Cohiba Siglos are S.A. "Stosh" Spring, II, Cory Richey, and Stephen Spring.
Yes what good would it be to search for excellence without topping off the winners' circle without a Cohiba Siglo rated 92 in this month's Cigar Aficionado.
And Yes, why not take a photo to send to Aficionado for publication as well?
Cory Richey on his way to the winners' circle.
Doug Dorhauer on his way to the winners' circle.
S.A. "Stosh" Spring on his way to the winners' circle.
Stephen Spring on his way to the winners' circle.
Tournament's End Result
The end result was a great day, some fun golf in the spirit and tradition of Bobby Jones and we raised $500.00 contributions going to the Bobby Jones' Scholarship Fund with Emory University in Atlanta.
2006 U.S. Hickory Open Championship
The 2006 U.S. Hickory Open Championship was held between November 2 through November 5, 2006 in Southpines, North Carolina at the Mid Pines Inn and Golf Course, located about 5 miles from Pinehurst.
What a great weekend for my wife, the kids, and I. Although no one was thrilled about driving 14 hours on Friday from Baton Rouge for me to play on Saturday and drive another 14 hours back on Sunday; Mid Pines, created by the renowned golf architect, Donald Ross, and saved and restored by Peggy Kirk Bell, was absolute heaven for all of us. The Course Mid Pines Inn and Golf Course was created in 1921 and to this day maintains the traditions of golf's golden era.
Although I was the only one playing the course, the staff and facility made our stay nothing less than sheer delight. On the way up and down, look what we passed.
The boys loved riding with Dad in the golf cart, while Mom was in shutterbug nirvana with all nature's wonders at Mid Pines along with the array of men and women dressed in the garb of the early 1900's .
I was paired with the renowned golf genius, Tad Moore, from LaGrange, Georgia. Imagine, I went to play in the Hickory Open with a new set of hickory clubs and woods made by Tad Moore (The Star Series patterned after Gibson of Kinghorn's flanged clubs - See: Tad Moore's Star OA Hickory Sets) and I not only meet Tad but share the cart for 18 holes . While Tad shot an 85, I had the dubious distinction of coming in 2nd to last with a stellar 3 digit score.
Rob Pilewski, Mid Pines Head Golf Professional, was simply astounding. One of the nicest people I've ever met, he was the epitomy of professionalism and grace. After finishing Saturday's round, I relaxed with a cigar that's served in the White House which was given to me by a client of our law firm.
My five year old and I toured the facility.
Later that night, Kat and I enjoyed the wonderful culinary delights of the Mid Pines' dining room.
After dinner, Kat, the kids and I enjoyed the game room which has pool, foosball, and cards.
Sunday, November 6, 2006
With not much time to spare, we waited for the group photograph of all the players.
One of the benefits of being married to a professional photographer is one somehow manages to get top billing in some of the photos even if one comes in last.
When the photos were done, we checked out the antique cars that were put on display as part of the event.
We had to say good by to the fall leaves and cotton fields in North Carolina.
And so it was good by to Mid Pines.
On the way back, a quick stop at South of the Border.
And back to Baton Rouge ready for Monday.
After returning from the Hickory Open, Kat looked through some photo albums and produced from one of the photographs taken at Mid Pines and one of the family albums the following photograph.
HAPPY NEW YEAR
2007!
January 2007
Pinehurst- Carolina Hickory Golf Association
26 January 2007
"Putterboy"
After the Hickory Open at Mid Pines last November, I joined the Carolina Hickory Golf Association and was able to go to Pinehurst, a magnificent Donald Ross creation described by Bobby Jones as the St. Andrews of America. The experience was absolutely fantastic. A super group of guys, awesome hickory players, and a treasure chest of hickory golf history and tips.
Getting ready to tee off at Pinehurst Number 5. I really felt in awe playing with true devotees of golf played as it was in the Golden Era. The Association sponsors monthly meetings in the Pinehurst area. Check out the website.
Carolina Hickory Golf Association
February 2007
The Louisiana Chapter of the KnickNac Tour
"The Mardi Gras Mambos"
The KnickNac Tour - For Fun - Tradition - Payne Stewart
One of the projects for this year was to start a Louisiana chapter of the KnickNac Tour. It's another wonderful group of folks devoted to having fun, maintaining the traditions of golf, and the memory of Payne Stewart, 1991 and 1999 U.S. Open Winner at Pinehurst who died tragically on October 25, 1999. Looking forward to March in St. Petersburg, Florida for the 2007 Tour Founders Kick Off Event between March 16 and 18. Visit the website for more information.
In attempting to improve my hickory game, I've viewed all of Bobby Jones movies made during the 30's. I've been reading all of his books and books by Harry Vardon. Finally, I bought six of David Leadbetter's dvd's as well. Most recently, I bought the book , "The Bobby Jones Way" written by John Andrisani. Thus far I've only gotten to page 49; however, the insights contained in this excellent book I started implementing and tested it out. I've been able to straighten my tee shots so that they leave straight away and stay straight down the fairway. Awesome book - Awesome Information. Looking forward to being back at Mid Pines next month for the Carolina Hickory Golfers meeting and I have an idea my game will hopefully be better than it was last time.
Professional Clubmakers' Society
In an effort to learn more about maintaining and restoring hickory clubs, I joined the Professional Clubmakers' Society (Professional Clubmakers Society Website). What I read in this month's publication "the Launch Monitor" was particularly interesting to me as it relates to the difficulty level of hickory golf. There are 10 Quick Tips to Better Club Fitting which speak for themselves.
1. Don't necessarily recommend the same clubs you play. Your clubs (hopefully) suit your fame - and do not necessarily suit the player's game you are fitting.
2. No Tour Clubs! What Tiger plays is what's good for Tiger. Resist any temptation for the player to choose clubs based on what his favorite pro plays - or what might be available "from the Tour van" on ebay.
3. Bigger is better. Large heads have higher Moments of Intertia (MOI's). This means the heads twist less on off center hits. We can all use more forgiving clubs every now and then, regardless of our ability - make this a mantra of your fitting.
4. Get Them Shafted. Shaft flex, weight and bend point are crucial to ideal launch angles. Without the proper shaft fit, distance and accuracy will both be compromised. Shaft fitting - or retrofitting as well - are keys to player success.
5. Gap Size Is Important. If a grip's diameter is too big or too small, it is difficult to maintain a comfortable secure hold on the club. Proper grip size makes a player's clubs feel comfortable, leading to improved play.
6. Loft Is Their Friend. Higher lofts promote higher launch angles that work well with today's golf balls. Most players are playing drivers with lofts more than a degree too strong. Most of your clients will drive it longer and straighter with more loft!
7. Lower the CG. The lower a club's center of gravity, the easier it will be to get the ball in the air consistently. One of the two most common complaints from average golfers is how hard it is to get the ball airborne every time; keep this in mind when fitting - especially when fitting lesser accomplished players or those with slower swing speeds.
8. Go For More Fairway Woods. Fairway woods have lower, deeper CG's and lighter shafts than do longer irons. Adding a #7 and/or #9 wood takes the pressure off long shots from the fairway or rough. Make a discussion of set makeup a key part of any fitting.
9. Lose the Long Irons. In addition to fairway woods, hybrid clubs are designed to replace irons from #5 and higher. If long irons aren't your client's "friend," make the game more enjoyable by including a hybrid or two (or three). Today's set of clubs typically does not include eight irons, but instead includes a number of fairways, several hybrids and irons from four or five through wedges.
10. Don't Forget The Short Clubs. Any fitting should include a look at the wedges and putter as these clubs are used more than any other by most players. If these clubs are overlooked, the fitting is really not complete.
To me, these quick essentials of modern club fitting bespeak the difficulty level of playing hickory, especially if you're playing with hundred year old hickory shafts with blade irons and woods with low compression, soft cover modern balls or reproduction antique balls. These tips attest to me the unbridled talent and skill of Bobby Jones and those players of the Golden Era.
Until the next installment, knock the hell out of'em and visit me at my home on Ebay:
