One Round, One Club..What Would It Be?

I found this to be an incredible story and I’m guessing that he used an older 8802, which Sean Knapp and I used to screw around in the early 90’s with a couple of my old ones and we Played three holes at my club with em and I was +4 and Sean was +3.

The problem was if ya ended up in a high lipped trap, of which I hit two of em, both green side bunkers, on #1 and 3??‍♂️

60-year-old golfer wins amateur event using only a putter

An 84 is amazing, almost as much as the fact that his putter lasted 18 holes, lol. Though our putters were fine that day, my dad was messing around on the practice green the following week with the one that Sean used and the head fell off, lolol.

If you had to choose one club for one round, what club would you choose?

I would choose a 5i

Fairways Greens & a Great Season to You All⛳️

RP

Man, how I've missed seeing "Fairways & Greens" on the boards! How are you doing!?

That is pretty cool, playing that well with just a putter. Kinda goes back to the older (and now back in vogue) ideas of golf course design. I also saw a pro back some 25 years ago who could get out of a semi-high lipped bunker with a putter by basically burying the heel of the club into the sand and using the "V" made by the lie angle as the digging portion of the club. He was able to get it out and on with very good consistently. That was with an Anser style head, but I'll bet its even a tad easier with a 8802-type head.

My club of choice would be a Mizuno MP-32 6i shafted up with a Nippon Super Peening Blue "S" flex and a Tour Velvet +4. Plenty of shot shaping ability, and a touch of forgiveness, a smooth shaft that I can still step on if needs be, and a grip with no reminder and built up lower hand for shots that require face manipulation or gripping down. For me, that club would cover just about any par 3 I would come across, par 4's up to 360 or so, and par 5's up to 540. Any other length holes would be approached with cunning and guile!

On my course, which has water everywhere and greens that are severely sloped, I would have to play my rear off to break 90 from my normal tees. But, on the muni I grew up on, I honestly think I would have at least a puncher's chance of breaking 80.

Thank you RPJIII for starting this great thread!

I am not even going to think what my score would be with just a putter. I have hit it off the tee at the driving range for the fun of it and that part is not to difficult. But partial shots? Hiting over bunkers or water? That could get ugly.

Played that course a few times. Never shot worse than 84, albeit using all my clubs. I need to get in on this tournament.

I do this 10+ times every October and November. Me and my good friend Dave make it an annual tradition. I have broken 90 from the back tees in <10C temperatures using 1 club! I feel like that is actually pretty good

My best score ever was actually with a 22 degree hybrid. I could reach every hole but avoiding bunkers was a huge focus. As was not getting shortsided

I have done well with 5 irons.

I have found 6 irons and 7 irons you can't reach enough holes to shoot your best scores

I once played 18 holes in the fall with my hickory brassie (2 or 3-wood) and my hickory mashie (modern 7-iron). Brassie, mashie. It was fun; no bag, a few balls in the pocket. Putting was difficult.

I've never tried it but think my 19 or 24 hybrid would be what I'd choose.

I never miss with the 7-iron. It's the only safe club in my bag.

I'd go with my 19 degree PXG Gen 2 0317X Hybrid. It's great (and long) off the tee, great from the rough and fairway, and it is surprisingly capable as a chipper and when putting. My only concern would be getting out of the sand, but I hit it quite well and I'd likely be able to avoid the bunkers (at least at my home courses).

IIRC, Bubba did it with a very similar . I think there might be something to your assertion that distance becomes a serious issue if you choose a club to far down the set. If you are pretty good at hitting punchy/chippy 5i draws and fades out of the trees (which I'm at least used to, if not good at!), then hitting a similar shot from the fairway from shorter than normal yardage wouldn't be too awful. Maybe I should rethink my club head choice..........

Found it: http://www.golfwrx.com/145575/bubbas-one-club-round-is-great-for-your-golf-game/

Oh definitely, a lot of people immediately say 7 iron. But you won't reach many holes in regulation, and for most people the incremental short game gains of a 7 iron versus a 5 iron are minimal (how good are people with 7 irons at short game really? It's still not like it's easy unless it's a VERY straightforward bump and run)

So for me i'd much rather have a chance to hit greens in reg.

I have a 38 using just a 5 iron for 9. And on that 9 i hit 7 greens in regulation. I could not have done that with a 7 iron because i couldn't have those greens

Of course yardage matters too, if someone is playing the forward tees maybe a 7 would work

My home course I would pick a 7 iron. From the mid tees I can get near most of the par 3's in one.

The 3 par fives are all 500 or so yards so I could get close in 3 shots. Its under 6k yards total so the length wouldnt kill me at all.

I've broken 80 at my home track with 3 clubs before so I could manage my way around and not get in much trouble with a 7 iron I assume.

I would also go 5i. It is the one club that I never question or have a bad swing thought with. Greenside bunkers would be tough, but when aren't they!!!

I actually got paired with this guy and his friend last year at Raven Golf Club in Phoenix. It was crazy to watch him hit his putter from the fairway so consistently and he hit it with about a 7 iron trajectory. And on the green he putted with a "side saddle" one hand stroke. He shot around mid 80's that day, and that was after leaving a few shots in the bunkers.

As for what club I would use it would be a 6 iron. Mainly because I can hit a low hard draw off the tee to get some extra distance, and then a 6 still has enough loft to get out most of the bunkers I play.

A shot of tequila at the old Gold Club in Atlanta.

nice.

Actually for me and I have played quite a few 1 club matches back when I was gambling. Also depends on the course. If it was a old school sun baked muni type it would be my old steel shafted Calamity Jane style Sears SR putter. Still have it in it's rusty glory and the original GP Crown Cord I put on it some 30 years ago now. Now on a modern type course with some grass 5 iron

Five or six iron.

You calling roy McAvoy a liar?

I would choose either a three-wood or two-hybrid over an iron given I would not wish to risk damaging the green with a putt as I might with an iron. One-, two-, and three-iron are out given I no longer own one since I value my autonomy. These days said irons would own me in addition to constantly belittling my person, the little #&%#@!

Old Cuss

Caught up with my buddy on Hole 13 back in the late 1990s with a 1 iron and a plastic bag of ice and 3 beers - shot 1 under for 6 holes, sweet!

well he could hit a 7 iron 227 even when not hit perfect. So....

Except for some reason it took him 8-9 tries to carry a 3 wood like 250

Hey Richard, good to see you back.

cool story about this guy but my take was a bit different. He has been here in Arizona for 19 years, has played in the Phoenix Open pre qualifier, does not keep a handicap and yet gets put in the D flight. And proceeds to make a mockery of the poor guys that belong in that flight by winning with a putter.

Does my take make me an old fogey stick in the mud?

US Army veteran, 60, wins Arizona golf event using only putter

edited to add...I was going to say six iron but I like Jeff’s idea of hybrid. I have a 4hybrid that is very easy to hit varying distances and heights and roll.

Good story. @Forged4ever
I've only played one 18 rd using 6i, it was a demo original X-Forged back in 2006, seems like I shot an 87 or 89 from 6k yard tees and bought the 2-PW set the following Monday. I have, however, played a number of rounds since only using 3-4 clubs and NO putter, using LW as putter and yardages been 5900-6300yds white tees. Best I did from 6400yds, no driver, 4wd or putter was, I think, 78. It puts a premium on judgement, execution and being able to make a club do more than stock yardage.

Well, the shaft was glued together at the snap.point on that 3wood. His timing was off just a little.

Driver. If we're screwing around, lets at least make it interesting.
Good to see you back @Forged4ever, I hope you're well!

The putter looks like some sort of Anser or TP Mills clone. Not an 8802.

Thanks for that as I couldn’t make out the shape and assumed since we used an 8802, that’s what he used, lol

So much for assumptions, lol

Stay Well?

RP

Thanks, Richard. Hope you are doing well!

Here is a picture of the putter and the gentleman. I don't recognize the putter. Didn't realize he's branded himself with hats and shirts and a custom golf bag to carry his putter. That's awesome!

Yup saw that amazing story, and wouldn't have thought possible.

I'll have to go with 5 iron, because it's not getting any love in my "dropping a middle club" thread :)

Well, I've pared my bag down to 6 clubs, but if I had to play with just one, it would probably be the 3 hybrid because it would allow me to reach more holes in regulation given I'm not a particularly long hitter (if I could actually get the ball on target, that is). Though I did ponder a bit between 6i and the hybrid given the possibility of getting into the sand.