Only "Classic" Golfing? An assessment of my playing and what next?

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

14 minutes ago, BIG STU said:

But I will contend and bet the farm that they were legal on the date of manufacture---- One of my main bones of contention against the USGA and R&A. And for some reason and I can not scientifically prove it but BECU wedges seem to spin the ball more

 

Agree with you on both points. I think the BeCu wedges spin the ball more, but I can't prove it. And I don't like the groove rule, either. It wrote off a load of great irons with the careless stroke of a pen.

[scomac2002]

11 hours ago, No_Catchy_Nickname said:

 

Is the 53* BeCu wedge like this?

 

Lots of offset, but I really like mine. Spins the ball more than Muralitharan, and also works as a great chipper.

 

Like Muralitharan's bowling action, I suspect the legality of the grooves on this wedge are questionable...😁

 

I think mine is made from the same casting even though the stampings are different.  I wasn't sure until I looked closely and took a couple of pictures.

[Forged Hack]

Love that BE Copper wedge!

Before I go look at eBay,  I’m leaning towards some type of other finish on my wedges possibly swapping them out but only if period specific. Only because my Staff Fluid Feels get trashed here in Florida especially my SW. Are those Watson’s fairly available? As in, not too rare?

[scomac2002]

1 hour ago, Forged Hack said:

Love that BE Copper wedge!

Before I go look at eBay,  I’m leaning towards some type of other finish on my wedges possibly swapping them out but only if period specific. Only because my Staff Fluid Feels get trashed here in Florida especially my SW. Are those Watson’s fairly available? As in, not too rare?

 

The RAM Tom Watson Scoring System wedges are still readily available.  The BeCu versions are definitely on the rarer side though.  Not nearly as prevalent as Ping Eye 2 BeCu wedges for example.  If you're patient, you will find what you seek.

 

If you're more interested in the finish than the specific models then you can find quite a few BeCu wedges of various manufacture.  I've run across Dunlop and Lynx as well as several of the popular component suppliers from the 1980's.  I would also be remiss If I failed to mention the Ben Hogan Special Sand Iron that was in BeCu.

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

3 hours ago, scomac2002 said:

 

I think mine is made from the same casting even though the stampings are different.  I wasn't sure until I looked closely and took a couple of pictures.

 

I think you're right. The different stamping might be explained by mine being made for the Japanese market. I've read somewhere that RAM had an issue using the Tom Watson name in Japan, but I don't know the full details. 

[MizunoMayhem]

21 hours ago, scomac2002 said:

 

The RAM Tom Watson Scoring System wedges are still readily available.  The BeCu versions are definitely on the rarer side though.  Not nearly as prevalent as Ping Eye 2 BeCu wedges for example.  If you're patient, you will find what you seek.

 

If you're more interested in the finish than the specific models then you can find quite a few BeCu wedges of various manufacture.  I've run across Dunlop and Lynx as well as several of the popular component suppliers from the 1980's.  I would also be remiss If I failed to mention the Ben Hogan Special Sand Iron that was in BeCu.

Back in the 80's, I had a Wilson JP 55* Sand Wedge in BeCu. I think it was a JP IV.

[scomac2002]

21 minutes ago, MizunoMayhem said:

Back in the 80's, I had a Wilson JP 55* Sand Wedge in BeCu. I think it was a JP IV.

Cleveland 900's and early 588's were also released in BeCu.

[cold_war_era_golfer]

Going to kick this one up again with an update.   We are into August of the next year and I'm still vintage only.

 

I thought about posting this in "vintage rounds" but I think this may be more appropriate.  In case anyone is ever searching through the archives here it might help continue the story along and maybe encourage someone to try what I have been doing the past 3 summers.

 

So 2020 was my first year of actual golf and as it has been noted here I struggled.  During that summer I was invited to play a serious course(in my book) by my neighbors for a fund raiser event Westmoreland Country Club in Wilmette IL.  I barely finished any holes and although I had a few Ping Eye 2 woods in my bag of Eye 2s I couldn't hit them any further than than to the ladies tees from the blues.  

 

They are a great bunch of neighbors and they invited me again in 2021.  This time to the Glen Club in Glenview(another serious course).  This time I played better as to I actually had a short game and was able to contribute for the best ball scramble.  I still was about 50/50 duff or possibly 180yds onto the next fairway with the driver.

 

We went back to the Glen Club last week.  By know I know I can hit a Tommy Armour AT2W 2wood pretty well and my plan was to provide at least a straight fairway shot as an option to my partner's bombs with his graphite/modern driver.

 

This time it was just the neighbors no fund raiser scramble event.  But we decided to play 2 teams of 2/best ball.  My team won and I out drove my partner or was in a better position in the fairway 14 out of 18 holes.  I was the only one playing persimmons and had a bag of 1964 Top Flites.  My short game was on and my long irons and 2 wood had me besting both players on the other team.   At the turn one of the guys on the other team said "I think you have those old clubs figured out."  

 

It felt fantastic and I to know I not only kept up with the guys and their modern gear but to out play them was something I won't forget for awhile.  

 

I went out a few days later to my more regular park district tracks and my regular iffy playing resumed.  But if I could do it that once I'm guessing most seasoned golfers thinking about trying vintage may surprise themselves!