competing with vintage gear

[golfnut1964]

Wondering if anyone uses vintage gear in any of their local am tournaments ?

Not for-fun scrambles or anything like that, but medal play competitive events.

 

looking forward to any feedback

[guisician]

I don't think much vintage gear is USGA conforming, so unless that is overlooked, it couldn't go in the bag.

[oldschoolrocker]

Yes

[oldschoolrocker]

sorry for the short one word reply earlier, but I was in shock watching the Pride of the Carolinas fall apart.

 

i do play vintage in tournaments. Now, mind you I am talking about local senior events with nothing more than a few dollars and bragging rights on the line. In my way of thinking why would I not play the clubs and style of golf that gives me the most pleasure. The 5 or so events I was able to play in last year I played vintage minimalist, usually one, or two woods, four, or five irons, a sandiron and putter. Eight clubs total depending on set makeup.

 

Now, I explained to the rules committee up front my intentions and I did get some strange looks when I showed up, but after a couple of holes the novelty of it wore off for the other members of my group and it was business as usual. In my opinion it goes back to the industry's brainwashing that if "blades are bad, old blades must be really bad." Once they realize you can play with what you brought it becomes just another round.

 

 

[birly-shirly]

I don't play in regional or open events or the like. But yes - in medal play competitions organised by my club. Throughout last year I was generally playing with a modern driver, steel shafted metal fw and then vintage ('70s and '80s) irons, wedges and putter.

[Blade Junkie]

SimiIarly to birly-shirly, I play all my club handicap events with blades and persimmon fairway woods. The only variation is the driver, where I play a modern metal one in winter (when there is no run) but otherwise a persimmon.

 

About 20-25 comps a year on average.

 

I've won my Club 36-hole Net championship twice in four years with this sort of kit. You can definitely be competiitve with it :)

[minimal45]

Does anyone have a link to comforming clubs list?

[Blade Junkie]

Does anyone have a link to comforming clubs list?

 

Just stick "conforming club list" in Google .... :)

[guisician]

Does anyone have a link to comforming clubs list?

http://www.usga.org/equipment-standards/conforming-club-ball-lists.html

[Kirasdad]

Conforming clubs are only relevant in USGA championships. No one else even bothers to look. I have played in many amateur events, city championships and the like with vintage gear, usually a modern driver and Hogan Apex II irons. There has been no notice taken, or comment made.

 

My results have been indifferent. Did play one tournament, my club's championship, with some success. Parlayed a set of mid 80's Hogan Radials to a third place finish. That was 5/6 years ago.

 

I think you would perhaps have to play n some sort of regional qualifier, Mid Am or US Open for this to come up, and maybe not even then. If you qualified then you would have a problem, but that's about it. For 99.9 per cent of all amateur golfers this is not an issue.

 

[Wriggles]

Maybe, I live in a cave or something. I can't understand any clubs being non conforming IF they were conforming at one point, especially vintage stuff. It seems to me that the USGA and the R&A does this stuff just to discourage golfers from using old equipment. It appears to me that the USGA and the R&A are just bedding down with the manufacturers. Sells more stuff, gets more "support" from companies.

 

I marvel about things like the Presidents Bushes, were related to the Walkers of the USGA fame. Need we even discuss further why equipment gets listed as non conforming at a certain point. The old boy network, of course.

 

End of rant on a snowy morning. I don't play in any events which conforming/non conforming equipment becomes an issue. I have been challenged a couple times by guys "in the know", though. Nobody made a big deal about it, due to no money on the line.

 

I've told guys if I want to whittle a golf club out of a tree branch and play with it, I'll do so.

 

Play well, with any equipment you want.

[oldschoolrocker]

Wriggles,

The aroma in the air, does it have the brief hint of conspiracy lingering? I am in a state of mind wandering myself with respect to old boy Texas connections.

I like the idea of fashioning ones own implements. Perhaps one day when I have the time to devote to such endeavors, until then...play 'em if you got 'em.

[Kirasdad]

I don't think it's a conspiracy of any sort. The anchoring ban was a legitimate debate about "the spirit of the game" and one's interpretation of the rules of golf which seem to indicate that using one's body as a device to assist in putting was illegal. One could argue the interpretation of the rule, but one would hard pressed to say they got it completely wrong, or made this change to sell more putters. The groove rule is trickier, but since in reality it affects so few golfers (see my earlier post) a 10 minute spike in wedge sales a few years ago is a blip in the golf economy. As classic golfers, most of us, I would think, would approve of these rules, since the intent is to make equipment LESS prominent, with skill emphasized.

 

Food for thought.

 

Now...what about the ball...

[spezza11]

Lie some of you I play the old hogan irons with newer woods and wedges

I actually don't own newer irons. My newest set is my 69 bounce soles and now my newly acquired 62 power thrusts

Rest is in my signature

I used the bounce soles last year to finish 2nd in my club championship should have won but lost due to s poor back 9 on the first round. I mean really bad I was even sitting on 10 tee and proceed to shot 13 over on the back couple of triples due to lost tee balls and a lot of dumb putts lol the second day I had a good round in tough weather due to high cross winds of a 78. Lost 1st by 3 strokes lol thanks back 9 on Saturday

 

[spezza11]

Ultimately for me and as others I have played with have said is that if I want to play some 50 odd year old irons regardless of grooved they don't care as they see them inferior to their newest spaceship looking ninja sticks

[scruffynick]

I've played with ping eye 2s and wilson fg17s for years and someone had said a dickie bird! Didn't even know there was a list for older gear, which is strange with the older iron lofts. Surely more newer equipment should be on the list......plus we're all handicap players, does it make any difference to us if a club is confirming or not?? I'm with wriggles on this one!

[minimal45]

Golf and all the strange little rules.... I believe the abundance of rules in the game is a huge turn off in our sport. It could be well governed and still simplified. I once played at a course that required you to have at least 5 clubs in your bag. I get have your own stix policy but come on. I get that every game has rules but some of our rules are a bit much. Just my opinion.

[scruffynick]

Golf and all the strange little rules.... I believe the abundance of rules in the game is a huge turn off in our sport. It could be well governed and still simplified. I once played at a course that required you to have at least 5 clubs in your bag. I get have your own stix policy but come on. I get that every game has rules but some of our rules are a bit much. Just my opinion.

You've just reminded me of something that happened to me 20 years ago. I was playing a scratch 36 hole at another course and someone complained that my ping eye 2s might be the non conforming ones (like I had a clue)......I had just shot 82 for crying out load, whatever grooves were in my clubs I'm not friggin nick Faldo! Thankfully they agreed!

[golfnut1964]

The conforming issue aside, anyone feel intimidated or timid using vintage gear ? There are some local courses

all under 6500 yds that host guys just don't get why...

[Hatchmanss76]

Spent 90% of 2015 playing the following Vintage irons in club and district competition play in Aus: Cobra Mild Steel's, Cobra Tour Model II's and Titleist Tour Model's (1985). I include my Ping Eye 2+ BeCu and Callaway S2H2's in that list as well (10 games combined)

My 2 lowest scores for the year were with the 2 Cobra sets. The Titleist Tour Models are my favorites. All have their old shafts in them still.

When I'm not using my Vintage gear I game 712 AP2's and they go no better than than my Vintage in all aspects of play and feel. The AP2's would be 1/2 a club longer.

[birly-shirly]

The conforming issue aside, anyone feel intimidated or timid using vintage gear ? There are some local courses

all under 6500 yds that host guys just don't get why...

 

It depends. If I was carrying a modern-ish driver, then I'd be feeling pretty bullish about arguing, if I had to, that my bag was as functional as anything you could lift out of the pro shop. In fact, I'd be happy to argue that once I'm finished tinkering with them, my irons and wedges are more functional than what I could pick up off the rack.

 

If I was carrying wooden drivers, then I might expect to have a bit more explaining to do. It's not quite as clear cut to talk about where you see the ideal trade-off of performance versus quality of experience. I'm realistic enough to accept that not everyone is going to feel the same way about this as I do.

 

Intimidated isn't the word for it, but I'm most sensitive about this when it comes to playing competitive rounds that count towards handicap. I don't want to have to deal with any suggestion that I'm playing clubs that could put me at a scoring disadvantage, artificially inflate my index and give me an unfair advantage if I were to subsequently put more modern clubs into play. So, I always have at least a metal driver in play on those occasions. But as I said, I'm more than happy to defend my vintage irons as being the best tools for the job.

[oldschoolrocker]

Intimidated, no, but, I do not consider myself a good enough player to be intimidated. I have real world expectations regarding the state of my game with respect to age, illness, physical limitations, so in golf I am free to enjoy each round as eighteen individual rounds, and when my mind is really right each shot becomes completely autonomous.

 

I consider the victory being in a righteous journey, not the final tally.

 

Sorry to babble my down-home Zenish this morning, but it's "below freezing" and the grey matter is just thawing out.

[dbuck47]

I may be in a cave as well, but what would be non-conforming about old blades?

 

I did play in a competitive event last summer with Staff Tour Blades, a graphite shafted persimmon driver, and PING Eye2 laminated maple fairway woods. The only success I can claim is finishing. I had a bad cold with a fever of near 100 that matched the outside temperature. I will blame my score(which was painfully close to the same number) on those conditions. I was quite pleased with my driving, but didn't have much else.

[oldschoolrocker]

Tee times for the start of our senior season pushed back an hour already. Tempature "dropping." Was 32 when I took the dog out for the morning. 29 now!!! Feel more bundled up than Flo selling Progressive...

Going with the newly aquired (yesterday) 70ish Joe Powell J Matic Classic 1 and 4 woods, 60ish AP Tru Matic 2-9 irons, 60ish Dynapowered SW and old brass Spaulding Cash In putter.

Hoping for something auto Matic.

[Blade Junkie]

Tee times for the start of our senior season pushed back an hour already. Tempature "dropping." Was 32 when I took the dog out for the morning. 29 now!!! Feel more bundled up than Flo selling Progressive...

Going with the newly aquired (yesterday) 70ish Joe Powell J Matic Classic 1 and 4 woods, 60ish AP Tru Matic 2-9 irons, 60ish Dynapowered SW and old brass Spaulding Cash In putter.

Hoping for something auto Matic.

 

Good luck OSR ...I reckon you are going to like that 4-wood !

[HoganApexBlades]

Tee times for the start of our senior season pushed back an hour already. Tempature "dropping." Was 32 when I took the dog out for the morning. 29 now!!! Feel more bundled up than Flo selling Progressive...

Going with the newly aquired (yesterday) 70ish Joe Powell J Matic Classic 1 and 4 woods, 60ish AP Tru Matic 2-9 irons, 60ish Dynapowered SW and old brass Spaulding Cash In putter.

Hoping for something auto Matic.

 

Randy - Good Luck! It's 6* here in Sunny Chicagoland with about 1"-2" of frozen snow on the terrain. I'd rather be there than here!

[scruffynick]

Tee times for the start of our senior season pushed back an hour already. Tempature "dropping." Was 32 when I took the dog out for the morning. 29 now!!! Feel more bundled up than Flo selling Progressive...

Going with the newly aquired (yesterday) 70ish Joe Powell J Matic Classic 1 and 4 woods, 60ish AP Tru Matic 2-9 irons, 60ish Dynapowered SW and old brass Spaulding Cash In putter.

Hoping for something auto Matic.

 

Randy - Good Luck! It's 6* here in Sunny Chicagoland with about 1"-2" of frozen snow on the terrain. I'd rather be there than here!

Sounds familiar......not much golf since before Xmas! Would love a trip to Malaga with me sticks about now

[TimV]

I don't think it's a conspiracy of any sort. The anchoring ban was a legitimate debate about "the spirit of the game" and one's interpretation of the rules of golf which seem to indicate that using one's body as a device to assist in putting was illegal. One could argue the interpretation of the rule, but one would hard pressed to say they got it completely wrong, or made this change to sell more putters.

 

I disagree. The anchoring ban came about because Tiger whinned and the PGA didn't want to upset the golden child. I saw no legitimate debate about "the spirit of the game." And I will gladly say they got it completely wrong. To put it very simply they claimed it gave those that used it an unfair advantage. I say if that was so why didn't all the Pros go to it before it became an issue. It only became an issue because of Tiger. ~End of rant~ And this from a man who used one a few times over 7 years ago and not since.

 

Now in regard to using vintage equipment in Tournaments? Do whatever makes you happy! As others have said unless you are playing at a pretty high level I doubt anyone would ever say anything.

[scomac2002]

I don't really think Tiger had as much to do with the anchoring ban as you are maintaining, Tim. Sure, he had a lot to say on the subject, but I feel the real issue was all the stuffed shirts that sit in USGA and R&A boardrooms that just couldn't stand the message that was being sent you young players to anchor when something like four consecutive majors were won by players using the anchored stroke. They had to nip that in the bud. Bifurcation would have solved the problem, but they were too proud for that!

[Fellaheen51]

Randy, late to the party for offering my congrats on the JP Classic woods. Look like dandy's. Once you thaw out, get your fingers working again, let us know if they were indeed "automatic". And how your tourney went in general.

 

Never yet have had anyone inquire on the "legality" of the classic inventory. Doubt I ever will since I don't play in tournaments that give a hoot about such things. Pays your money, play what you what. Of a greater concern is the handicap rigging that seemingly goes on all the time. Guys who furnish their Proof of HC that shows a 14 then proceed to play like a 7. Happens to often, IMO, to be simply incidental.