The people that you meet...

[ProgMetaller]

Last Thursday, my girlfriend and I drove down to Orlando for her sister's wedding on Saturday. I hadn't really planned on golfing as I figured the schedule would be pretty tight. Well, she actually suggested to me that I take my clubs. My arm was pretty sore from all the arm twisting she had to do to convince me. :rofl: Anyway, I got on GolfNow to see what was available in the area and see if there were any deals. I ended up booking a round at Winter Park Country Club, a nice little nine hole course that was built in 1914. The booking was even for walking. Seemed like a perfect place for my hickories.

 

While I was on the putting green before the round, I noticed another gentleman putting with a hickory (a Schenectady to be precise). I struck up a little conversation with him about it and he asked if I had any others. I pointed out my bag full and we went about our practice. About ten minutes later, the starter comes out from the clubhouse and asks me what my tee time is. He then paired me off with a two-some. Lo and behold, I'm paired up with the other hickory player. I've never played a round with another hickory player outside of my one and only hickory event that I played last summer. Now, I travel nearly a thousand miles from home and get paired up with another hickory player!

 

We tee off and the other hickory player has to run into the clubhouse to fix the strap on his bag. The other player and I make our introduction. "Bill" from China, a young kid in his twenties with a nice game. When our third catches back up to us in the fairway, I learn that his name is Wally. As we play and talk, I learn that Wally knows Bill's teacher in China. We talk about China, travel, hickories. How we got into playing them. A very enjoyable round. I let Bill hit mine a few times and he really liked them, so we may have made a new convert. He even asked to use my bag for a picture of him and Wally.

 

Anyway, through the course of the round, I learn that Wally played on Tour. He mentioned that he played in two Open Championships, including Seve's first win. When I got back to the hotel, I did some research and found out that he not only played in the Open during Seve's win. He finished in a tie for 13th! He also finished in a tie for 5th at the '78 Masters. Wally Armstrong. Super nice guy. Strictly plays hickories now. Plays them well too. And to think that I hadn't even planned on taking my clubs with me...

[GolfNutRiblick]

Wow! Great story Prog! Very cool!

[Wriggles]

Great story.

 

I've never played with anyone who plays hickories

 

I've been thinking of starting the season out exclusively with hickories.

[oldschoolrocker]

Awesome.

Is this the nine hole that’s downtown? I was there a couple of years ago, didn’t have clubs, or time to play, but thought it would be a good place for hickory.

[ProgMetaller]

I'm glad that you guys enjoyed the story.

 

That would be the course. It's not far from the downtown area. It winds through a beautiful neighborhood. I think you end up crossing the street five different times. Lots of people out walking dogs. You play around an old cemetary on holes three, four, and five. I thought it was a very enjoyable course. Not long (we played the back tees which were listed at 2,480 yards). Very challenging greens. If I'm ever down there another time, I will definitely play it again.

 

It was an pretty cool trip all around. On the way home, I got to meet and feed some carrots to my favorite race horse of all-time, Silver Charm, at Old Friends in Georgetown, KY.

[oldschoolrocker]

So you like he Ponies too? I have spent a far amount of time around the tracks. Mostly Keeneland.

[gsea33]

So you like he Ponies too? I have spent a far amount of time around the tracks. Mostly Keeneland.

 

Two words: August Saratoga :)

[ProgMetaller]

I'm definitely a horse racing fan. When I lived in North Akron, my daughter and I would head up to Thistledown to see the Ohio Derby. Unfortunately, that's the only track that I've ever been to.

[Matt J]

There's a fellow out on the Oregon coast that exclusively plays hickories. Story is that he was quite the stick until arthritis set in, so for him hickories are a way to level the playing field without hurting his body. I've heard rumors of some pretty low numbers on hard tracks.

[DavePelz4]

Wally has been around forever and used to have infomercials on the telly for training aids. Think he's a pretty highly rated instructor as well.

 

Sounds like a great day but more importantly, did your GF catch the garter and are you on your way down Matrimonial Ave?

[ProgMetaller]

He did talk a little about his infomercials. Apparently, he was at a course in the Cleveland area. I'm not sure if he was doing something for one of the infomercials or he met them because of his infomercials, but he met Roger Clemens and Frank Viola who were in town to play the Indians. He said that they set him up with seats down in the player's section right on the field and he got to see Clemens almost no-hit the Tribe. As a long-time Indians fan, I can remember quite a few occasions where The Rocket dominated the good guys. Being the nerd that I am, I decided to research it. Viola was with the Red Sox for three years ('92, '93, and '94). On April 12, 1992, in the second game of a doubleheader, Clemens threw a complete game, two-hitter with twelve strikeouts in a 3-0 Boston victory. That's the closest he came to no-hitting the Indians in Cleveland during that time frame. What's really interesting about that day though is that in the first game, Matt Young actually did "no-hit" the Tribe. And lost 2-1.

 

She did NOT catch it. Luckily, I made an amazing diving save and deflected it to her younger sister. Crisis averted! Seriously though, we've been together for a long time now and I'm lucky to have her. She doesn't mind my golf/golf club "problem". One of these days we'll make it official. We're just not going to tell anyone when we do. :D