What I've learned while watching Shell's Wonderfull World of golf....

[Titleist99]

Players wearing lots of mock and turtlenecks, No Tiger didn't invent them.....LOL!

 

I understand why today's players mainly chip with the sand wedge. The other clubs that the guys used on the show lacked control. IMO

 

I find some repeats very entertaining.....course conditions, club selection and some pros in their prime.

 

 

Disclaimer: Subject may or may not have been discussed before. If you have nothing to add please keep it moving.

[Hawkeye77]

If all you got was guys not chipping with sand wedges lacked control you weren’t understanding much about what or who you were watching or the course conditions.

[MtlJeff]

The current era is lame compared to the classic era of snead and Hogan.

Back then they'd play the wonderful world of golf, then slam back cocktails in the bar with rockstar groupies in each arm while playing cards

 

[Hawkeye77]

LOL!

[caniac6]

I like the clothes from the old days. Those cardigans look really cool.

[marmooskapaul]

That most of them weren't that great!!

[Old Tom Morris]

A lot of great things existed before Tiger Woods. No one is bigger than the game, including Tiger Woods. Golf was great before, during, and will be after him.

[Titleist99]

Wow.... A thirty one year old Al Gieberger, the original Mr. 59. I think he's about eighty two now. Greens seem like molasses IMO.

[bladehunter]

What I’ve learned is what I already knew. I was born way too late. That style play is what my eye loves to see ( I’m watching it too ). No high tops , joggers , or flat bills with ears tucked ,in sight.

Spectators wearing suits with hair in place , ladies in dresses and not a bababoey can be heard.

[BeerPerHole]

Interesting observation about chipping. I learned chipping very early on (haven't really learned sh*t other than that about the game) and developed a 2-club approach to chipping. Long chips - 8 iron. All others - PW. Works well for me. But, I've heard my contemporaries all talking about the SW. Looks like too much loft to my eyes when I try it.

I love that old show, by the way. It appears that course design and agronomy have come a long way since, as many of the tracks in the show don't look much better than our local bottom-feeder hardpan site.

[Titleist99]

All the ladies with big hair and horn rimed glasses.....LOL!

[Titleist99]

Well, pros know how to deloft those wedges to get length and trajectory needed to get it close. The sand wedge is one of their most versatile weapon. IMO

[Titleist99]

LOL!...…...No cell phones, no "Mash potatoes"......Not a lot of baseball caps.

They're playing short courses, so I see a lot of nine iron and wedges into greens.

[Titleist99]

Agreed......But IMO golf needs a dominant player to help the game prosper. Someone to love and hate....LOL!

[Titleist99]

You really should fight that urge of yours ….to post nonsense. ;) 

[Christosterone]

i love Phil’s old school move....it’s so timeless

 

shells wonderful world of golf is awesome

 

[Hawkeye77]

Which episode and which player or players are you claiming couldn't control the ball with their chipping technique - we'll cut right through to who is posting nonsense pretty quickly. Let's hear it.

 

[the bishop]

...and everybody is burning a Marlboro. Even the kids. Good times.

[Titleist99]

Well, if you must know.....what I see while watching Shell's WWOG is players using eight irons and wedges. six irons off the green ii.e. Al Geiberger,

Peter Allis and others. I see a lot of shots running fifteen feet by and a lot of chips ten feet short which is exactly what I get when chipping and putting

with an array of golf clubs other than a sand wedge. Now one thing IMO todays touring pros can do is get a ball up and down from a trash can.

IMO that is why the sand wedge in today's game is the club of choice. IMO

[Titleist99]

I've learned  that Fast and firm greens are more consistent.

[Man_O_War]

the sound of a well struck balata sounds like a sand iron blast from the bunker today...quiet. some funky swings ..nothing on furyk

[Titleist99]

LOL!......Lets just say that there was a lot of unique swings back in the day as opposed to the technically correct modern swing. As long as you get it done, I guess...

[QuigleyDU]

I feel the world is passing you by my friend, and I am right behind you. I was just thinking that I would love for the styles of the 1920's to come back during the 2020's.

[BIG STU]

Well you had to have played the equipment some and played in those days to really appreciate the play. I still play some of what I call strictly vintage golf with old equipment. In fact I will say it is about 50/50 between modern and what I call new. Like today I played the new course I joined with my really old stuff and drew a lot of curiosity around the club house this morning. Had the old Hickory shafted Ottey putter in the bag which is a blade style Calamity Jane style putter. Played the 54 Hogan Precisions and an old Spalding Dynamiter sand wedge. Some guy asked "no PW?" told him I did not need it because the 9 iron with that set is stock at 48* and the old wedge is 55*. Played with some older guys from the Super Senior tees since the course was wet. Hit my persimmon woods also. One thing even with vintage equipment is the ball now. I did play a modern TM Project A.

Yep I have been enjoying the WWOG immensely these last few weeks along with Sam Snead Celebrity Golf. One course they played in Wales had real live sheep running around it. Also on one of the holes one of the players switched from the larger American ball to the smaller European ball on one hole which was legal under the rules at the time. Like someone mentioned the courses of those days looked like a standard goat track today. And I for one love playing vintage golf on goat track type courses. Also look at the telecasts and see how the wind affected those balata balls. Like the Bishop said everyone burning a Marlboro or a Chesterfield and I will add real steel spikes too. Love it takes me back to the days when I was growing up and my old man ran a Muni type daily fee course

[Hawkeye77]

Kind of what I expected. You don't get it at all.

Seve, Player, Trevino, Watson, Chi Chi, Runyan and even . . . . Tiger - short game wizards, none relied on one club, all had different shots for different conditions/situations.

You get out that "sand wedge" - they had them also (Geiberger had 3 wedges in the bag when he shot 59) - and get Gary or Tom around the green with you and feel free to have them play any club against you - would hope (but not expect) you'd quit talking out of the seat of your chair about modern "magical" short games.

[rwc356]

Golf Channel has been running the Shell re-runs most of the day and it has been a blast to watch these old matches. I grew up watching these matches and it certainly brings back memories - I remember our high school golf team had the Palmer style sweaters for us to wear at tournaments .... thankfully no photos of me in one of those. It is great to see players hit longer clubs into holes 3w, 2i, etc. as opposed to most holes being driver - PW.

[Titleist99]

Watching Chi-Chi hit those three hundred yard drives, at 120 pounds he could really send it.....

How did the game survive such power? Chi-Chi was making all those golf courses obsolete...LOL!

[caniac6]

I very rarely use a sand wedge to chip with. I really like to get the ball rolling on the green. I feel like I have way more control over the ball using that method. Hey, I'm old, and learned how to use a lot of different clubs for a lot of different shots.

[Titleist99]

Arnie just chipped from thirty feet with a seven iron and ran the ball by ten feet and missed the comebacker. I can guarantee you that a modern pro would have used a sand wedge.

[caniac6]

I bet Hunter Mahan would have gladly traded a 7 iron ten feet past the pin for that chunky sw that lost the Ryder Cup.