older guys long term memory

[scores]

what was u r favorite wooden driver

I have been watching all the older footage lately and readings some bios of the older golfwrs and a lot of them talk about how hard it was to replace a DRIVER way back when.. or find one that worked as well.

I grew up with persimmon (titleist) but remember the day I blew the screws through the back of it playing in the cold weather...

I found that Cleveland made some great wooden drvers... then slammmed it into the ground ouch could not find one as good and went to taylormade Metals have not looked back..

Anyone have a favorite brand of wooden club growing up ..young guys don't understand how hard it was..to find gear.

I read an article that Weiskopt use to run around with david Graham at tour stops looking for gear...In a old GD that I was chucking as I cleaned out my parents house this weekend.. too easy today..

[mech2]

Powerbuilt Citation driver bought it about 77 was a sweet club the one with the brass weight at the back of the head. Had the 3wd and 5wd as far as getting it of the deck they were as good as anything you can buy today.

[sanddog28]

I remember the Wilson Staff Tour Block persimmons, they rocked. Even after i had gone to my first TM metal driver the Wilson 3 wood stayed in my bag til the day the wood split because of an Elephant Word not allowed shot that pushed the top screw through the face.

[iscarter69]

I still have my last persimmon - Powerbilt Citation 10*. Great club.

 

Was on a golf trip a couple weeks ago and brought it along for fun. Caught one on the screws and it was true bliss. However, it was tough looking down at that little head and short tee.

['53 Precision]

Hogan Persimmons, the Hogan Company's high standards resulted in consistent playability of their persimmon and laminated maple woods in my opinion. One didn't really have to "search" for a replacement, just find one with the shaft flex desired and hit it. MacGregor and Howard Delaney Cincinnati Golf persimmons are also very good.

[XYB34A]

Powerbilt Citation. Hands down. When I was a kid back in the 60's, then Powerbilt reps would come and look and bid on the persimmon trees growing on peoples farm's. I went with my grandfather on two separate trips, with the rep to look at trees on my grandfather's two farms. They had a small factory that did the rought cutting in Leitchfield, Kentucky at one time. So I always liked the thought of a local grown product. They are tied in with Hillreich and Bradsby wood baseball bats since the 1920's and when I played little league, babe ruth, high school and college baseball, the aluminum bat was not used a lot at that time. Even though, Dicks Sporting goods, owns them now. Louisville golf still makes many fine clubs. They own either the second or third best golf course in Kentucky behind Valhalla. Persimmon Ridge Golf Course.

 

Louisville Golf made, Ben Hogan Persimmon clubs, along with some Wilson staff and some models of Titleist. To this day you can go to Louisville, Kentucky and buy overstock 2,3,4, and 5 woods that are Ben Hogans or Wilson staff's without the decal stickers on them.

[sst3039]

Was lucky enough to pick up a MacGregor Tourney and put a new shaft in it after reconditioning. Lasted for years till it was stolen. Also had a full set of First Flight woods that were unbelievable pieces of wood.

[Extreme Firepower]

There was a set of Slazemger Seve Ballesteros Persimmonw woods going on ebay.uk

for $4000

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SEVE-BALLESTEROS-WOO...1QQcmdZViewItem

[blade_man]

Palmer Pearless were my last set and have two sets of them, also some of the new kids that do clubs now have no idea of how to do "whipping" on those clubs! Hogans and Powerbilt were great clubs too!

[Mike_C]

I had a MacGregor 693T I loved back in the old days. Also had a Powerbuilt Citation, and the Palmer Peerless. Maybe the best looking one I ever owned was a custom Bob Toski persimmon I got right after he started his company in the late 70's. I had a whole set custom made, they had a serial # of A127, which I do believe was the 127th set they made....

[oldpalchamp]

I had some Haig Ultra laminated woods, but my favorites (and I still go down to the basement and look at them) were my Hogans with the Speedslot.

[pingeye]

Tony Penna Model 59 Oil Hardened. I still have it. I have no idea what the loft on it is, however I use to be able to crank this thing. Low ball flight with tons of roll.

[utopiapga]

Wow this is a great thread. Funny thing is alot of people I have taught in the years don't even know what a real wood looks or feels like.

 

The best driver I ever had back in the day was a Tourney Custom that I purchased from my club pro. It was Blonde Persimmon with a green insert. Sweet looking club, and of course no graphite shaft back then only steel so I had a DG X100 shaft in it! Talk about a piece of LUMBER! Man I loved that thing at the time though.

 

Oh and just so you know I still have it today along with the 3,4,5 wood. I had them all refinshed and put away.

 

The funniest thing about that back in the day was that we wanted the softer persimmon wood and the harder 100 compression ball in order to get that trampaline affect and now it has toatlly chaged to just the oppisite. Now the clubs compress along with the ball to achieve the same thing we where tryin to do in the past!

[Mr. Fair]

Ping Eye 2 blondies.

[mat562]

I've still got my old Joe Powell that my dad bought for me as a reward for getting down to scratch. Fantastic thing. Black with the firing pin in the face. As played by both Sandy Lyle and Seve back in the day to win majors.

 

The only other persimmon I've got is an old MacGregor Muirfield that I never really gelled with. Plus, I managed to crack it in the heel so it ended up sidelined within a few months of me getting it. I have still got a Ping Eye 2 3 wood with a Sandvik in it though that I should have given back years ago. Funny looking thing, but a nice club nonetheless.

 

I always liked the old Cleveland woods from the late 80s. They did a dark and a light stain that were both beautiful things. The DG43? Other than that, the old MacGregors were always lusted after (particularly since Faldo and Couples played one) and the old Tony Pennas were the stuff of legend in my youth.

 

As much as I loved persimmon, I've got to admit that I got my hands on a Taylor Made Tour Gold as a 14 year old and, from that point on I was hooked on metal drivers I'm afraid... That Joe Powell was a beauty, but it didn't compare to a Burner Plus with a fancy shaft in it.

[stage1350]

I still own three Tommy Armour 986 Tour Deep Face drivers with varying shafts. This was the last and best persimmon driver I owned. The face is almost as deep as it is wide.

 

I'd still love to find an old MacGregor 6 screw 3 wood like Nicklaus used. Deep faced persimmon is the best!

[Night train]

Tony Pennas and Macs were my favorites.........still have a bunch of them, although they are worth nothing anymore.

[BEND OF THE RIVER GC]

Well I am only 41, but I had a super sweet Hogan persimmon that was awesome.

[kftgolfer]

1. Wood Brothers Texan

 

2. Cleveland Classic RC85

 

3. Cleveland Classic TC15

[FairwayFred]

My personal favorite was a Cleveland Classic RC85 driver that I used for years. (still use the 4w from that set)

 

If you are looking for Persimmon today you can still get custom made dead on spec drivers made from Joe Powell Golf.

[cowboynjungle1]

Toney Penna! My favorite was a deep face Jumbo model, had at least two of those, one was blonde and beautiful, the other was a deep reddish color. Had several other models also.

Hogans were a very close second.

Macgregor in third only because I only actually owned 1 of them.

[dodger]

Toney Penna model 1, blonde with a red firing pin insert. Retired it in 1992. Sits in the basement like a lonely old horse watching the young colts. Sad what technology does to us. Still, they were a pain to rewhip and refinish.

[shepdog]

Wilson Strata Bloc. The feel and sound and appearance were things of beauty.

[pickerjohn]

The old Macgregor eye-o-matics

The Powerbilts

Tommy Armour (Macgregor and Tommy Armour)

The Cleveland Classics

Joe Powell

 

But the best to me was the Wood Bros. Texan

[qtlaw]

Out here in California, Orlimar made the sweetest persimmon heads.

[oldgoalie]

1. Wood Brothers Texan

 

2. Cleveland Classic RC85

 

3. Cleveland Classic TC15

I still have a TC15 with an S400 shaft. In the bore through that baby is stiff.

 

I took it out with some old balls and it is amazing I ever played with it. Sweet spot really is the size of the litte black chip in the face...

[TitleistDave]

No question, Macgregor eye-o-matic. I miss the sound the most.

[Yuck]

Another vote for powerbilt citation. Brass back weight and 3 brass circles in the insert 2 small ones and a larger one in the middle. I still have an Macgreger eye-o-matic, but alas it cracked down the hosel. Even pin and epoxied, it was never the same. I remember the old Tony Pena's were very Deep faced drivers where as the Power-bilts were relatively shallow.

 

Back in the day, If you could hit it 310 or so with with a 43 inch persimon driver, you were loooong. Long enough to get beyond local qualifying in the Long Driving qualifiers of the early 1980's. It is amazing what the ball and club head have done to driving distance. I am old, weak and fat and 30 years out of high school, but I am as long as I was as a young man. If I had to go back with and hit balata with a 43 inch driver, I am convinced I would be 25 yards shorter now.

[DarthFierce]

No debate, hands down the best persimmon club...The Wilson Staff with Alumininum Firing Pin Insert. Instead of screws it had a dime sized circle of aluminum in the middle of the face.

 

It was probably 1986/1987 and I bought my first woods, a driver, 3-wood, and 5-wood set for $100. I was so proud. They had a fantastic sound to them and they were stained with a cool red/cherry stain.

 

I will always have a place in my heart for those clubs. Still have the 3-wood in the closet.

[HarboursideTC]

My choices:

 

1. Custom Toney Penna, 2* open, 44"

2. Powerbuilt Citation - the best looking driver ever made

3. Macgregor Eye-O-Matics

 

Great clubs, but I can't say that I miss them. Technology has kept the game playable for an old man with a bad back - almost as long at 56 as I was at 26...