What's the difference

[Nomad Golfer]

That's what's been puzzling me looking at some vintage stuff today. What was the major difference comparing 1974 to 2016 and in a (dim) light bulb moment I twigged that it was all about iron play and less about woods, a typical iron set started at #2 and I used that iron off the fairway and the tee, to the point that woods weren't that important in the game. My hcp was 22 before I owned a pre-driver #1 wood. A sand wedge was an optional extra and a gap or lob wedge didn't exist. Golf balls were wound rubber, smaller than the ones today, but they went straight and the biggest drawback was they seemed to cut easy. I wonder how many players still use those long irons which have in all intents and purposes been replaced by woods and hybrids. A modern iron set that I purchased a couple of years back started at #4, that's a pretty good indication of where those long irons are heading.

[BIG STU]

That's what's been puzzling me looking at some vintage stuff today. What was the major difference comparing 1974 to 2016 and in a (dim) light bulb moment I twigged that it was all about iron play and less about woods, a typical iron set started at #2 and I used that iron off the fairway and the tee, to the point that woods weren't that important in the game. My hcp was 22 before I owned a pre-driver #1 wood. A sand wedge was an optional extra and a gap or lob wedge didn't exist. Golf balls were wound rubber, smaller than the ones today, but they went straight and the biggest drawback was they seemed to cut easy. I wonder how many players still use those long irons which have in all intents and purposes been replaced by woods and hybrids. A modern iron set that I purchased a couple of years back started at #4, that's a pretty good indication of where those long irons are heading.

Nomad remember most modern 4 irons have the same loft as a vintage blade 2 or 3 iron. Most modern sets have the PW loft close to what one of my vintage 8 irons have. The gap between the PW to the sand wedge is so much that people have to carry a gap wedge now days. On my front line set I sorta play a combo and I still hit the long irons when the shot calls for it. Good example say I have a forced carry of 200 yards I will hit the modern metal 5 wood versus the 4 iron because I can hit the 5 wood higher. Now if it is windy here I may not do the forced carry of that distance if there is a hazard guarding that green I may lay up and try to get up and down for a par or take the bogey. That bogey is better than double or worse. I can not hit hybrids period but for some folks they are easier for them to hit versus long irons. A lot IMHO is how one learned the game. I learned the game when all we had was blade irons and long irons. We did have 5 woods and a few 6 woods around but mostly long irons. When I learned the game we had a PW and SW usually around 50* and 56* respectfully. We learned to work what we had. Now I do carry a 60* for certain shots and there is a difference in grinds on my 56 and 60 and that is by my own making to fit my style of play. Golf especially the equipment has changed in the last 20 years for sure

[southplains]

It could have been the notion of "instant gratification" - the idea that we could simply buy a better game with

"game improvement" clubs like perimeter weighting, metal woods, cast irons, solid-core balls, etc.

I fell for that for awhile before deciding that the old ways were best. Then I went back to developing

my game hitting one-irons, flop shots off hardpan with a pitching wedge, five iron bunker blasts, Texas wedges,

punch fades, dead-arm approaches, one-club rounds, and so on. I found that a more gratifying way to play

and still do. Hence my collection of two dozen vintage club sets and love of the range. Of course,

I grew up learning the game on my old man's driving range and playing all-day kid rounds on the deserted

hot summer muny course with bargain barrel clubs.

[BIG STU]

It could have been the notion of "instant gratification" - the idea that we could simply buy a better game with

"game improvement" clubs like perimeter weighting, metal woods, cast irons, solid-core balls, etc.

I fell for that for awhile before deciding that the old ways were best. Then I went back to developing

my game hitting one-irons, flop shots off hardpan with a pitching wedge, five iron bunker blasts, Texas wedges,

punch fades, dead-arm approaches, one-club rounds, and so on. I found that a more gratifying way to play

and still do. Hence my collection of two dozen vintage club sets and love of the range. Of course,

I grew up learning the game on my old man's driving range and playing all-day kid rounds on the deserted

hot summer muny course with bargain barrel clubs.

That is exactly how I go about doing it. Growing up I was more fortunate than most being that my Dad was a pro and ran a course that we lived in the middle of. I had the best of equipment at the time but by God it was persimmons and blades! Most of the folks around here even ones my age think I have several screws loose because I still play blades and on occasion persimmon. I have a nice set of forged CB irons that I actually did some of the developement work on but I absolutely can not feel a thing with them. I march to the beat of my own drum and that includes blade irons

[southplains]

The turning point for me was my first big-headed driver that clanked when I hit it flush and

could not hit a fade with it or a low ball into the wind to save my life. I realized that modern stuff was designed to

correct the common slice and flippy shafts to compensate for low clubhead speed. Now, in my 60's,

that stuff would probably help some, but I'd rather just move up to front tees and play the old stuff or

take my bogey medicine from the tips. Nothing wrong with hitting brassies into long par fours like

Bobby Jones did. However, I might even go to the women's tees someday to remember

what birdies and eagles are like.

[Nomad Golfer]

That's what's been puzzling me looking at some vintage stuff today. What was the major difference comparing 1974 to 2016 and in a (dim) light bulb moment I twigged that it was all about iron play and less about woods, a typical iron set started at #2 and I used that iron off the fairway and the tee, to the point that woods weren't that important in the game. My hcp was 22 before I owned a pre-driver #1 wood. A sand wedge was an optional extra and a gap or lob wedge didn't exist. Golf balls were wound rubber, smaller than the ones today, but they went straight and the biggest drawback was they seemed to cut easy. I wonder how many players still use those long irons which have in all intents and purposes been replaced by woods and hybrids. A modern iron set that I purchased a couple of years back started at #4, that's a pretty good indication of where those long irons are heading.

Nomad remember most modern 4 irons have the same loft as a vintage blade 2 or 3 iron. Most modern sets have the PW loft close to what one of my vintage 8 irons have. The gap between the PW to the sand wedge is so much that people have to carry a gap wedge now days. On my front line set I sorta play a combo and I still hit the long irons when the shot calls for it. Good example say I have a forced carry of 200 yards I will hit the modern metal 5 wood versus the 4 iron because I can hit the 5 wood higher. Now if it is windy here I may not do the forced carry of that distance if there is a hazard guarding that green I may lay up and try to get up and down for a par or take the bogey. That bogey is better than double or worse. I can not hit hybrids period but for some folks they are easier for them to hit versus long irons. A lot IMHO is how one learned the game. I learned the game when all we had was blade irons and long irons. We did have 5 woods and a few 6 woods around but mostly long irons. When I learned the game we had a PW and SW usually around 50* and 56* respectfully. We learned to work what we had. Now I do carry a 60* for certain shots and there is a difference in grinds on my 56 and 60 and that is by my own making to fit my style of play. Golf especially the equipment has changed in the last 20 years for sure

Spot on there. I can not only hit a 2 or 3 iron off the grass - I actually enjoy it ! sure the ball stays low but rolls a lot further and a real asset on a windy day when I may as well leave all my woods on the pile (pun intended). I'm going off hybrids - they tend to be a bit off and on whereas I know the irons are steady, plus you can chuck in a bit of nostalgia. For my next game, I'll leave the hybrid out and put in my 3 & 4 irons. With the vintage bag, I sometimes leave the woods out and just use 2 - SW. Combined with a vintage bag it turns a few heads when they see those blades........choice

[Nomad Golfer]

It could have been the notion of "instant gratification" - the idea that we could simply buy a better game with

"game improvement" clubs like perimeter weighting, metal woods, cast irons, solid-core balls, etc.

I fell for that for awhile before deciding that the old ways were best. Then I went back to developing

my game hitting one-irons, flop shots off hardpan with a pitching wedge, five iron bunker blasts, Texas wedges,

punch fades, dead-arm approaches, one-club rounds, and so on. I found that a more gratifying way to play

and still do. Hence my collection of two dozen vintage club sets and love of the range. Of course,

I grew up learning the game on my old man's driving range and playing all-day kid rounds on the deserted

hot summer muny course with bargain barrel clubs.

When I last had a round with my brother (80 yrs) he said he was getting bored with golf because of the sameness so I sent him off to an unfamiliar course with my vintage bag. He came back feeling a lot better. Don't think there's any chance of him building a vintage bag of his own as he already has about 4 sets of clubs. Variety is a very important part of the game imho.

[Nomad Golfer]

It could have been the notion of "instant gratification" - the idea that we could simply buy a better game with

"game improvement" clubs like perimeter weighting, metal woods, cast irons, solid-core balls, etc.

I fell for that for awhile before deciding that the old ways were best. Then I went back to developing

my game hitting one-irons, flop shots off hardpan with a pitching wedge, five iron bunker blasts, Texas wedges,

punch fades, dead-arm approaches, one-club rounds, and so on. I found that a more gratifying way to play

and still do. Hence my collection of two dozen vintage club sets and love of the range. Of course,

I grew up learning the game on my old man's driving range and playing all-day kid rounds on the deserted

hot summer muny course with bargain barrel clubs.

That is exactly how I go about doing it. Growing up I was more fortunate than most being that my Dad was a pro and ran a course that we lived in the middle of. I had the best of equipment at the time but by God it was persimmons and blades! Most of the folks around here even ones my age think I have several screws loose because I still play blades and on occasion persimmon. I have a nice set of forged CB irons that I actually did some of the developement work on but I absolutely can not feel a thing with them. I march to the beat of my own drum and that includes blade irons

Could not have put it better.

[Nomad Golfer]

The turning point for me was my first big-headed driver that clanked when I hit it flush and

could not hit a fade with it or a low ball into the wind to save my life. I realized that modern stuff was designed to

correct the common slice and flippy shafts to compensate for low clubhead speed. Now, in my 60's,

that stuff would probably help some, but I'd rather just move up to front tees and play the old stuff or

take my bogey medicine from the tips. Nothing wrong with hitting brassies into long par fours like

Bobby Jones did. However, I might even go to the women's tees someday to remember

what birdies and eagles are like.

Got a good laugh reading that. The only eagles I know are wedgetails, and the only birdies I get are from truck drivers when I'm towing the caravan.......

[Nomad Golfer]

Would just like to add the comment that it's good to see driving irons becoming popular again (not that they ever died).

I am seriously thinking about trialing one - any suggestions?

 

further: good article on driving irons by Tom Stickney II on this website

[BIG STU]

The turning point for me was my first big-headed driver that clanked when I hit it flush and

could not hit a fade with it or a low ball into the wind to save my life. I realized that modern stuff was designed to

correct the common slice and flippy shafts to compensate for low clubhead speed. Now, in my 60's,

that stuff would probably help some, but I'd rather just move up to front tees and play the old stuff or

take my bogey medicine from the tips. Nothing wrong with hitting brassies into long par fours like

Bobby Jones did. However, I might even go to the women's tees someday to remember

what birdies and eagles are like.

I can still work the ball left to right with the modern driver (915 D2) and that is my stock shot a baby cut. I can draw a ball but can not control anything about it 98% of the time. It is also the modern ball good example any Bridgestone E series balls. For me they go straight with no spin and no run out with the driver and I hit a somewhat low power cut with the driver too. A lot of these balls now days have aerodynamic changes to straighten out side spin for the average golfer. Right now I play the modern metals from the mid tees and when I play the persimmons I play from the gold tees depends on the course. Sometimes I play some holes with the persimmons from the mid tees because I can still hit a persimmon driver far enough to get into hazards straightaway from the gold or senior tees. I also like to play some par 4s from back where I have to hit that persimmon 3 or 4 wood to a par 4.

[Nomad Golfer]

The turning point for me was my first big-headed driver that clanked when I hit it flush and

could not hit a fade with it or a low ball into the wind to save my life. I realized that modern stuff was designed to

correct the common slice and flippy shafts to compensate for low clubhead speed. Now, in my 60's,

that stuff would probably help some, but I'd rather just move up to front tees and play the old stuff or

take my bogey medicine from the tips. Nothing wrong with hitting brassies into long par fours like

Bobby Jones did. However, I might even go to the women's tees someday to remember

what birdies and eagles are like.

I can still work the ball left to right with the modern driver (915 D2) and that is my stock shot a baby cut. I can draw a ball but can not control anything about it 98% of the time. It is also the modern ball good example any Bridgestone E series balls. For me they go straight with no spin and no run out with the driver and I hit a somewhat low power cut with the driver too. A lot of these balls now days have aerodynamic changes to straighten out side spin for the average golfer. Right now I play the modern metals from the mid tees and when I play the persimmons I play from the gold tees depends on the course. Sometimes I play some holes with the persimmons from the mid tees because I can still hit a persimmon driver far enough to get into hazards straightaway from the gold or senior tees. I also like to play some par 4s from back where I have to hit that persimmon 3 or 4 wood to a par 4.

I tried the Bridgestone e6 ball but it didn't do a lot for me - not enough to make a big difference as I don't go off the fairway from the tee very often (the hybrid puts me into the jungle though - it's a wild thing). What I have fun with is sometimes adding a persimmon or laminate to the regular bag. My Slazenger 4 wood (laminate) is the best 4 I've ever had and this is eventually going to kick the hybrid out of the bag.

[BIG STU]

The turning point for me was my first big-headed driver that clanked when I hit it flush and

could not hit a fade with it or a low ball into the wind to save my life. I realized that modern stuff was designed to

correct the common slice and flippy shafts to compensate for low clubhead speed. Now, in my 60's,

that stuff would probably help some, but I'd rather just move up to front tees and play the old stuff or

take my bogey medicine from the tips. Nothing wrong with hitting brassies into long par fours like

Bobby Jones did. However, I might even go to the women's tees someday to remember

what birdies and eagles are like.

I can still work the ball left to right with the modern driver (915 D2) and that is my stock shot a baby cut. I can draw a ball but can not control anything about it 98% of the time. It is also the modern ball good example any Bridgestone E series balls. For me they go straight with no spin and no run out with the driver and I hit a somewhat low power cut with the driver too. A lot of these balls now days have aerodynamic changes to straighten out side spin for the average golfer. Right now I play the modern metals from the mid tees and when I play the persimmons I play from the gold tees depends on the course. Sometimes I play some holes with the persimmons from the mid tees because I can still hit a persimmon driver far enough to get into hazards straightaway from the gold or senior tees. I also like to play some par 4s from back where I have to hit that persimmon 3 or 4 wood to a par 4.

I tried the Bridgestone e6 ball but it didn't do a lot for me - not enough to make a big difference as I don't go off the fairway from the tee very often (the hybrid puts me into the jungle though - it's a wild thing). What I have fun with is sometimes adding a persimmon or laminate to the regular bag. My Slazenger 4 wood (laminate) is the best 4 I've ever had and this is eventually going to kick the hybrid out of the bag.

That right there is an excellent choice and if you measure the loft on the 4 wood you will find it is in the 19 to 21 degree range. I can not hit hybrids either and when my long iron game goes to crap I will put in the old V steels especially the 7 wood@21* and the 9 wood@ 24*. I have been known to slide some of my numerous 4 and 5 wood persimmons in the bag. IMHO I would rather hit that old laminate 4 wood than any hybrid because that real wood hits better than any modern hybrid

[teevons]

Kirasdad was telling me about an interview he heard with 3 major club designers, Titleist, Nike and Callaway I think. The one thing they all agreed upon was the average golfer, 95% that is, should carry a 5 & 7 wood in their bag, maybe one hybrid if any because most cannot get the hybrid in the air and are losing strokes not having higher lofted fairway woods, instead of hybrids.

[augustgolf]

To the OP, Nomad....I've re-read your original post, but didn't see anything in the replies to address one thing you first posted:

 

"Golf balls were wound rubber, smaller than the ones today, but they went straight and the biggest drawback was they seemed to cut easy. "

 

Depending on what time frame you are referencing, yes...SOME golf balls were wound rubber, and SOME cut easily.

 

But, I think it is proven that the American ball has not changed in size, and the British ball, which was small, was more or less standardized by the R&A to match the US ball.

 

Also....while "some" balls were wound rubber (think, the Titleist K, Hogan Apex, Spalding Dot, Maxfli Black, Red, Green, Wilson Staff.....I could go on, as there were many manufacturers)....and these would cut pretty easily, due to the thin balata rubber cover (and they also spun real well, so spinning irons into greens for stopping/backing the ball up)....

 

There also were balls that were "solid state"....I think of the old Zippo balls....they were pretty much 1 piece molded rubber, and were the leaders in logoed balls. I use to have a great collection of them. Great to collect....not so great to play. They were soft, and felt like you were hitting a driver with a bandaid on the face if you tried to tee off with one. Mushy comes to mind.

 

Another great difference of the design of the balls.....you could use many different techniques of what actually "made" the ball: steel centers, liquid centers, different types of liquid for the centers.

 

Dimple patterns also didn't change much....until the early 70's, when Wilson introduced the ProStaff (truncated dimples); Royal introduced the Plus Six (hex shaped dimples---they went a mile downwind, but when you hit them into the wind, they just climbed straight up, and made a sound like ripping a bed sheet) and Titleist introduced larger dimples, in an effort to make the ball "float" more for distance

 

Top-Flite, with it's 2-piece design, made a ball that wouldn't cut....and, wouldn't spin much on short shots, so now, we had more ball marks on the green, as the average golfer hit the green with his approach, made a ball mark, but his ball ended up over the green or on the back, where he played his next shot from, without ever walking to where his ball mark was & fixing it.

 

It was the introduction of the Top-Flite that changed the rule about playing only 1 type of golf ball, because it was proven that the Top-Flite penetrated the wind much better than a balata/wound ball, so good players were teeing up Top-Flite balls into long par 3's playing into the wind, or even par 4's & 5's into the wind, as you could hit it 20-30 yards further than the balata ball.

 

 

About this time, Ping irons were becoming really popular....you could hit a Top-Flite with a Ping 9-iron about 150+....the problem was, it didn't stop on the green where it landed. So...the race was on to find that ideal blend of durability vs. spin vs. flight vs. feel....which still goes on today.

 

You want a great understanding of the history of the past 50 years of golf???? Find some balata balls, a set of persimmon or laminated woods, and a good set of old blades....oh, and a putter that did not have heel/toe weighting.....something like a Bullseye, Otey Crisman, or TP Mills...maybe even a sweet 8802 or 8813 (Australian slotted version of the 8802...which was the evolution of the Arnold Palmer by Wilson putter I would really love to have)

 

You will truly appreciate where golf club & ball design has come when you see where it has been.

 

Thanks for allowing me to take a walk down memory lane...the good old days

[BIG STU]

August--- That Royal Plus 6 statement brought back a lot of memories.

My old man and his cronies used to come down here a lot in the late 60s early 70s and play mostly some of the bunch up at North Myrtle. One of his friends was the pro at a course here. He had gotten hold of some of the Royal Plus 6 balls in sample packs. My old man ended up with a dozen and was hooked. Now he was a die hard Titleist and Red Maxfli fan. But he loved those Plus 6 balls. When he got back home he contacted them and got 5 dozen of the sample packs. They were the rage. He ordered stock from the pro shop. The regular stock balls did not seem to go as far as the sample ones and he and several good players proved it. He found out from sources (he never would say who it was) that the sample balls had been juiced up somehow and were not USGA legal and the regular stock ones were legal. He did manage to sell several sets of those Royal Plus 6 irons with the hexagon shaft in them before he found out about the balls and got pissed and sent the rest back with a terse little letter to them. Of course they denied any such action. In latter years right before his death he told me he had a friend in the USGA and he had sent 3 of the sample balls for testing and they had confirmed what he suspected but to keep mum about it because the testing was done in secret. I guess there was some kind of back patting going on in those days or palm greasing if you know what I mean

[augustgolf]

We should get together & talk...gotta get some rest now before the hurricane invades my neck of the woods

[rex235]

Big Stu-

 

Remember the Royal Plus 6 commercial...

 

The one with the guy from Notre Dame (Dr Nicolaides?) who bluntly states.... "Sorry Titleist, but your ball doesn't fly as long as ours!"

and holds up a Royal Plus 6 for the cameras....

[Nomad Golfer]

To the OP, Nomad....I've re-read your original post, but didn't see anything in the replies to address one thing you first posted:

 

"Golf balls were wound rubber, smaller than the ones today, but they went straight and the biggest drawback was they seemed to cut easy. "

 

Depending on what time frame you are referencing, yes...SOME golf balls were wound rubber, and SOME cut easily.

 

But, I think it is proven that the American ball has not changed in size, and the British ball, which was small, was more or less standardized by the R&A to match the US ball.

 

Also....while "some" balls were wound rubber (think, the Titleist K, Hogan Apex, Spalding Dot, Maxfli Black, Red, Green, Wilson Staff.....I could go on, as there were many manufacturers)....and these would cut pretty easily, due to the thin balata rubber cover (and they also spun real well, so spinning irons into greens for stopping/backing the ball up)....

 

There also were balls that were "solid state"....I think of the old Zippo balls....they were pretty much 1 piece molded rubber, and were the leaders in logoed balls. I use to have a great collection of them. Great to collect....not so great to play. They were soft, and felt like you were hitting a driver with a bandaid on the face if you tried to tee off with one. Mushy comes to mind.

 

Another great difference of the design of the balls.....you could use many different techniques of what actually "made" the ball: steel centers, liquid centers, different types of liquid for the centers.

 

Dimple patterns also didn't change much....until the early 70's, when Wilson introduced the ProStaff (truncated dimples); Royal introduced the Plus Six (hex shaped dimples---they went a mile downwind, but when you hit them into the wind, they just climbed straight up, and made a sound like ripping a bed sheet) and Titleist introduced larger dimples, in an effort to make the ball "float" more for distance

 

Top-Flite, with it's 2-piece design, made a ball that wouldn't cut....and, wouldn't spin much on short shots, so now, we had more ball marks on the green, as the average golfer hit the green with his approach, made a ball mark, but his ball ended up over the green or on the back, where he played his next shot from, without ever walking to where his ball mark was & fixing it.

 

It was the introduction of the Top-Flite that changed the rule about playing only 1 type of golf ball, because it was proven that the Top-Flite penetrated the wind much better than a balata/wound ball, so good players were teeing up Top-Flite balls into long par 3's playing into the wind, or even par 4's & 5's into the wind, as you could hit it 20-30 yards further than the balata ball.

 

 

About this time, Ping irons were becoming really popular....you could hit a Top-Flite with a Ping 9-iron about 150+....the problem was, it didn't stop on the green where it landed. So...the race was on to find that ideal blend of durability vs. spin vs. flight vs. feel....which still goes on today.

 

You want a great understanding of the history of the past 50 years of golf???? Find some balata balls, a set of persimmon or laminated woods, and a good set of old blades....oh, and a putter that did not have heel/toe weighting.....something like a Bullseye, Otey Crisman, or TP Mills...maybe even a sweet 8802 or 8813 (Australian slotted version of the 8802...which was the evolution of the Arnold Palmer by Wilson putter I would really love to have)

 

You will truly appreciate where golf club & ball design has come when you see where it has been.

 

Thanks for allowing me to take a walk down memory lane...the good old days

The ball i played with in the early 70's was the British one, rubber wound. The era you cover was one that I missed out on as I had given up golf and taken up sailing (sold my clubs for a deposit on a sailing dinghy) and didn't rejoin the mad hatters golf party until early in 2005. You will see on my sig that I still have a set of old stuff currently laminates (3 persimmon #1 clubs in storage) in fact I use my laminate #4 now instead of a hybrid. My blades are 60's and I have two bullseye putters. For a ball I'm using the W/S Duo which is the softest one I could find - I haven't seen or really looked for balata balls but I would be interested in trying them with the vintage bag. Thanks for the information - appreciated.

[tannyhoban]

The single biggest change from the '70s (imo) to now is how courses are designed here. More forced carries required. The game now is played very much in the air with agronomy playing a role. Firmer tighter fairways and greens are far more common and the equipment companies have adapted accordingly. I hit the ball low, but higher today than bitd.

[BIG STU]

Big Stu-

 

Remember the Royal Plus 6 commercial...

 

The one with the guy from Notre Dame (Dr Nicolaides?) who bluntly states.... "Sorry Titleist, but your ball doesn't fly as long as ours!"

and holds up a Royal Plus 6 for the cameras....

Thanks --- Yep you did jog the cob webs of my memory on that one-- For the life of me I can not remember the guy's name but I remember the commercial. It was on Shell's wonderful World of Golf and I think on ABC on the US Open too

[rgk5]

I've grown tired of GI irons and decided to go back to the 1980s for the best set of irons I used back then. Ergo, a set of Hogan Apex PCs 3-sw, will be picked up tomorrow. I'll simply use the Equalizer(pw) as a gap wedge, the 9-iron as a pw and so on.

 

They have the Apex 3(R flex) shaft and are in excellent condition. The price? $55. :taunt:

[IcemanYVR]

Big Stu-

 

Remember the Royal Plus 6 commercial...

 

The one with the guy from Notre Dame (Dr Nicolaides?) who bluntly states.... "Sorry Titleist, but your ball doesn't fly as long as ours!"

and holds up a Royal Plus 6 for the cameras....

Thanks --- Yep you did jog the cob webs of my memory on that one-- For the life of me I can not remember the guy's name but I remember the commercial. It was on Shell's wonderful World of Golf and I think on ABC on the US Open too

 

I am too young to remember these, but thought you gentlemen would like a trip down memory lane...

 

[Nomad Golfer]

I've grown tired of GI irons and decided to go back to the 1980s for the best set of irons I used back then. Ergo, a set of Hogan Apex PCs 3-sw, will be picked up tomorrow. I'll simply use the Equalizer(pw) as a gap wedge, the 9-iron as a pw and so on.

 

They have the Apex 3(R flex) shaft and are in excellent condition. The price? $55. :taunt:

Excellent !

[stevemcgee99]

Now, in my 60's, that stuff would probably help some, but I'd rather just move up to front tees and play the old stuff or take my bogey medicine from the tips. ... Nothing wrong with hitting brassies into long par fours like Bobby Jones did.

 

I've never understood why people don't play from the tees that mean they can take a typical controlled shot and hit the fairway then reach the green with an iron.

 

Instead they spend all their money on a driver and go at it as fast as possible, ruining their swing, then look around in the rough or bushes for their ball.

[Nomad Golfer]

Now, in my 60's, that stuff would probably help some, but I'd rather just move up to front tees and play the old stuff or take my bogey medicine from the tips. ... Nothing wrong with hitting brassies into long par fours like Bobby Jones did.

 

I've never understood why people don't play from the tees that mean they can take a typical controlled shot and hit the fairway then reach the green with an iron.

 

Instead they spend all their money on a driver and go at it as fast as possible, ruining their swing, then look around in the rough or bushes for their ball.

As Blackadder's Baldrick was wont to say often "I have a cunning plan" and one cunning plan I can think of is dividing the hole into segments that suit distance and accuracy. Having a plan - cunning or not - is playing percentage golf. I learned this from my elderly brother who is always on the green before me because he doesn't play the hole as a whole, but divides and conquers.

[southplains]

As I study golf history, my perspective on the latest technology is changing a bit.

Hybrids and titanium "woods" seem to harken back to the old, old days before

irons began to take over from the long-head real woods. So irons had

a good long run of a couple of centuries and now the cycle is turning back

to big-head clubs. Maybe "long-nose" titanium is on the horizon. Meanwhile,

I'll keep foozling along with brassie, spoon, cleek, mid-iron, mashie, niblick,

though newly numbered as 2wood, 5wood, one,four,seven irons, and wedge.

and choking halfway down on the 2wood for lofted wood putting on rough muni greens.

I kind of enjoy 5000 yard courses from the front tees. It would be hard, though,

to give up on modern golf balls because there aren't many featheries or

gutties found out in the woods these days.

[augustgolf]

As I study golf history, my perspective on the latest technology is changing a bit.

Hybrids and titanium "woods" seem to harken back to the old, old days before

irons began to take over from the long-head real woods. So irons had

a good long run of a couple of centuries and now the cycle is turning back

to big-head clubs. Maybe "long-nose" titanium is on the horizon. Meanwhile,

I'll keep foozling along with brassie, spoon, cleek, mid-iron, mashie, niblick,

though newly numbered as 2wood, 5wood, one,four,seven irons, and wedge.

and choking halfway down on the 2wood for lofted wood putting on rough muni greens.

I kind of enjoy 5000 yard courses from the front tees. It would be hard, though,

to give up on modern golf balls because there aren't many featheries or

gutties found out in the woods these days.

 

You forgot one "old time" club: the baffie....the predecessor to the Cobra Baffler.

 

The pro at the course where I caddied as a kid, Sam Drake, had one, and he was deadly with it from 170+/- yards. Strange looking club, but he knew how to use it.

 

Sam was written up in all kinds of golf magazines, because he had 2 hole-in-ones in the same round. Odds of that happening are around 67 million to one. Brian Harman did it not that long ago in at the Barclays in 2015.

 

Anyway...the baffie....neat club. Would love to know if anyone has one, or if you've ever seen one.

 

 

 

Think of a baffie as a real early version of today's hydrids....skinnier than a wood, larger sole than an iron, shallower face than an iron as well, and shorter shaft than typical fairway woods....

 

Stu....you gots any old baffies in your shed?????

[teevons]

As I study golf history, my perspective on the latest technology is changing a bit.

Hybrids and titanium "woods" seem to harken back to the old, old days before

irons began to take over from the long-head real woods. So irons had

a good long run of a couple of centuries and now the cycle is turning back

to big-head clubs. Maybe "long-nose" titanium is on the horizon. Meanwhile,

I'll keep foozling along with brassie, spoon, cleek, mid-iron, mashie, niblick,

though newly numbered as 2wood, 5wood, one,four,seven irons, and wedge.

and choking halfway down on the 2wood for lofted wood putting on rough muni greens.

I kind of enjoy 5000 yard courses from the front tees. It would be hard, though,

to give up on modern golf balls because there aren't many featheries or

gutties found out in the woods these days.

 

You forgot one "old time" club: the baffie....the predecessor to the Cobra Baffler.

 

The pro at the course where I caddied as a kid, Sam Drake, had one, and he was deadly with it from 170+/- yards. Strange looking club, but he knew how to use it.

 

Sam was written up in all kinds of golf magazines, because he had 2 hole-in-ones in the same round. Odds of that happening are around 67 million to one. Brian Harman did it not that long ago in at the Barclays in 2015.

 

Anyway...the baffie....neat club. Would love to know if anyone has one, or if you've ever seen one.

 

 

 

Think of a baffie as a real early version of today's hydrids....skinnier than a wood, larger sole than an iron, shallower face than an iron as well, and shorter shaft than typical fairway woods....

 

Stu....you gots any old baffies in your shed?????

steel shaft??

[augustgolf]

As I study golf history, my perspective on the latest technology is changing a bit.

Hybrids and titanium "woods" seem to harken back to the old, old days before

irons began to take over from the long-head real woods. So irons had

a good long run of a couple of centuries and now the cycle is turning back

to big-head clubs. Maybe "long-nose" titanium is on the horizon. Meanwhile,

I'll keep foozling along with brassie, spoon, cleek, mid-iron, mashie, niblick,

though newly numbered as 2wood, 5wood, one,four,seven irons, and wedge.

and choking halfway down on the 2wood for lofted wood putting on rough muni greens.

I kind of enjoy 5000 yard courses from the front tees. It would be hard, though,

to give up on modern golf balls because there aren't many featheries or

gutties found out in the woods these days.

 

You forgot one "old time" club: the baffie....the predecessor to the Cobra Baffler.

 

The pro at the course where I caddied as a kid, Sam Drake, had one, and he was deadly with it from 170+/- yards. Strange looking club, but he knew how to use it.

 

Sam was written up in all kinds of golf magazines, because he had 2 hole-in-ones in the same round. Odds of that happening are around 67 million to one. Brian Harman did it not that long ago in at the Barclays in 2015.

 

Anyway...the baffie....neat club. Would love to know if anyone has one, or if you've ever seen one.

 

 

 

Think of a baffie as a real early version of today's hydrids....skinnier than a wood, larger sole than an iron, shallower face than an iron as well, and shorter shaft than typical fairway woods....

 

Stu....you gots any old baffies in your shed?????

steel shaft??

 

His was....we're talking late 60's early 70's