Has the topic of Persimmon woods helped change your mind on your gamer?

[RobotDoctor]

With the discussion, and unveiling, of so many fabulous persimmon woods on this board, has your opinion regarding persimmon woods changed? How many people will be gaming persimmon woods in 2010 because of this board?

 

Count me in as one who will be gaming persimmon this year because of 3 or 4 active members of this board. Thanks guys!

[Buzzkill]

Can't afford the distance loss.

[freddiec]

2010 is going to be an unforgetable year for me (and my wife). A new Decade and the birth of our 1st child and a Boy (in just a few weeks) ! My golf activity may be few and far between this year, but luckily I live 2 min from a super nice 9 hole muni which is an old school golf course I grew up playing as a kid. I'll be able to escape many nights for a quick 9 and will be Gaming a Persimmon driver up there all the time. I also play once a month with my neighbor at his private course and my goal this is to whip him with my PC's and a Persimmon driver in the bag. Count me in!

Sam, you've always inspired me to play persimmon as well. You and I have been on this board for years talking persimmon and a bunch of others as well.

[RobotDoctor]

[quote name='freddiec' date='30 January 2010 - 03:18 PM' timestamp='1264889932' post='2215038']
2010 is going to be an unforgetable year for me (and my wife). A new Decade and the birth of our 1st child and a Boy (in just a few weeks) ! My golf activity may be few and far between this year, but luckily I live 2 min from a super nice 9 hole muni which is an old school golf course I grew up playing as a kid. I'll be able to escape many nights for a quick 9 and will be Gaming a Persimmon driver up there all the time. I also play once a month with my neighbor at his private course and my goal this is to whip him with my PC's and a Persimmon driver in the bag. Count me in!

Sam, you've always inspired me to play persimmon as well. You and I have been on this board for years talking persimmon and a bunch of others as well.
[/quote]

Congratulations with your baby boy! Golf is a distant activity compared to your child.

Fred,

I suppose we are traditionalists which explains our love for persimmon. As for the distance loss, I am between tees now anyway. I am still long enough to play from the tips here in Colorado, typically 7,200 - 7,400 yards in thin air. This equates roughly to courses around 6,400 - 6,600 yards at sea level. I will just drop back from the "championship" tees to the "blue" tees (the one just past the men's club tees). When playing from these tees I am usually 3-wood - wedge into most par 4s and can reach a few par 5s with long/mid irons when I hit the ball well. The loss of 25 or 30 yards will enable me to hit 8 irons instead of the pitching wedge in which is better for me anyway. I hit the 8 iron much better than the PW anyway.

That said, I am hoping that a M43 becomes my gamer sometime this year. Here's to hoping!!!

Take care Fred and congratulations to you and your wife!

[Maxwell]

[sup][size="4"][color="#8b0000"]I played MacGregor Tourney M85's last year and MacGregor Tourney M43's for the previous two years.
My irons are 1969 Achushnet "Finalists" "Bullit Backs" with new Apollo shafts cut to seniors flex, spine aligned and freaked. Stuck together and swing weigthed to a "D2" with Alpha Tour Wrap grips.
I just like the older Persimmon woods. They look sharp, feel solid hitting the ball and occasionally go where I'm trying to hit them(14 hcp). [color="#006400"]I think, some day, more golfers will be exchanging their "Dole Pineapple Cans on fishing rods" for Persimmon and laminated Maple woods. [/color][/color][/size][/sup]

[dan360]

Playing 72 holes at Bandon Dunes, Chambers Bay, or (maybe someday) Royal Birkdale or the Old Course with a Mackenzie Walker full of MacGregor *real* woods and iron, and a Wilson 8802 knocking a Tour Balata 100 around sounds like something this 32 year old wanna-be needs to add to his bucket list.

[freddiec]

RobotDr,
Thanks Man! We definitely share the same passion. This Hickory-Persimmon area of wrx has really taken off lately! Love to see all the great participation lately!

[wrmiller]

Visiting here helped push me over the edge so to speak. Also, when I took out the staff 3w and was within ~10-15yds of my 909f3, I was sold. The difference in my particular case is that I want to 'go back to' the feel and challenge of hitting a wood wood, and the sense of accomplishment a well struck ball gives me, not necessarily playing a antique for the 'nostalgia' of playing what I grew up with. I like the feel, sound, gear-effect, etc., of a persimmon wood, but am not interested in playing the shafts and balls of that era. If that were the case, I'd join a friend of mine and just cut to the chase by playing hickory and gutta-percha or whatever that old ball is called...

Probably doesn't make any sense to some, but hey, you asked...

[dan360]

freddiec,

You asked a long time ago to see the pictures of the (maybe) matching set of MacGregor Eye-o-Matic woods I have...

Your wish is my command...pictures will be up later this evening.

[MoaningM]

Am another which is looking at playing Persimmon and certainly older irons, whether I will commit to playing Persimmon in any amateur events is another thing admittedly but....

Set up at the moment is based on a
Hogan deep faced driver
Wilson Staff 3 wood
Macgregor 1968 4 wood/Ping Eye 2 1 iron BECU
1972 Wilson Buttonback irons 2-PW
Wilson Gene Sarazan R-90 SW
and putter will no doubt vary depending on behaviour!

This year is 25 years since I took up golf and the buttonbacks were made the same year I was born so seemed a sensible match!

[redlabel]

I'll just be doing the same I do every year. Either the 4th weekend or labor day I take my MacGregor 693 t's and hogan pcs and play 2 or three rounds. I load my clubs onto a 40+ year old bag boy cart and enjoy the day.

[84425]

When i started playing again last year, this here was a site i used to visit for the first time. Reading the topics on persimmon woods made me realise that nowadays i would be able to find good persimmon woods through ebay/the internet. The only thing that held me back 15-20 years ago was the lack of availability of good perimmon woods in the netherlands. Without this site/the internet i would still be gaming my TM tour preferred driver from the late 80ies/early 90ies.

My M85W will probably be in my bag this year, or the Wood Brothers Australian i bought recently and is currently being refinished.

[RobotDoctor]

I love the Wood Brothers Australian driver. It was Wood Brothers' version of the M43, IIRC. Be sure to post pictures of the Australian when you get it back! I would love to see it.

[profsmitty]

Just to remind everyone that you don't have to rely on vintage clubs as the only alternative available for persimmon-headed equipment. Louisville Golf is still making very nice persimmon equipment I have owned Louisville Golf woods for several years and am very pleased with their playability. You can even order them with modern shafts if you wish. On my "persimmon" rounds, I never feel that I am sacrificing my game, I am returning to it.

[url="http://www.louisvillegolf.com/"]http://www.louisvillegolf.com/[/url]

[oldironman]

Is there any sweeter sound than hitting a persimmon on the screws.

[MrParr1Noid]

Is there any sweeter sound than hitting a persimmon on the screws.

 

Only if it's on a lotta "Balata".

 

 

 

[stage1350]

As soon as I find a good refinisher, I'll have my Persimmon Driver/3W refinished and reshafted. But they will be a "state and official occasions" setup rather than a daily gamer. I've got some nice leather wraps to throw on them.

[KYMAR]

My first set of junior clubs included some blonde Ping woods. Just reading this thread has taken me back to those days and realize how happy I am to have my pineapple can on a fishing pole in the bag and at the ready to mash balls as far as possible crooked or otherwise. I get the nostalgia aspect, Might be fun to Take an old macgregor to the range, But my golfing dollars are limited these days. And I just don't see using much of it on the off chance of really puring a good old 1 wood on the screws and watching it fall 40 yards short of my intended destination. Sweet sound or no, I think I'll pass. I do want one of those mackenzie bags though, those things are freaking SLICK.

[alucard655]

I have been playing Persimmon and blades since November. I played the early rounds with balata balls but they are just to tough to find in good shape, and also I felt bad when they went out of round. Am I shorter with woods, Yes. Are the clubs more difficult to hit, Yes. I have enjoyed golf more playing with persimmon/blades than with modern clubs, Yes. I am 25, my golfing years are few but for me I am enjoying golf more now than I have ever have. I love playing persimmon and blades, and I promise I will continue to play it for as long as I can this season. FWIW, I have been playing Titleist Professional balls since balata are too tough to come by.

[RobotDoctor]

Outstanding, a "young" convert. Welcome to the persimmon club.

[wrmiller]

Received my Staff tour block driver, and it is in very good shape, with some clear coat(?) peeling off on the sole plate. Had both the driver and 3w fitted with some new grips yesterday, and I plan to hit the range with both next Sat. If things 'go well' I'll put them in play on Sunday. I suspect though, that I will need more than just one stint at the range to relearn these clubs, but it is one I'm looking forward to.

If I decide to stay with the persimmons, I'll likely upgrade at some point to either the Louisville, or Joe Powell offerings.

And if I don't ruin the Staffs, I'll likely be back here to ask questions on how to refinish them.

[bchester6]

Woods all the way!! I sold my last metal peice last year sometime and I have no intention of ever going back. I am officially 10-15 yards shorter but I am sooo much more straighter. My misses (blocks and hooks) are actually recoverable misses and I'm not two fairways over. Imagine having to actually focus and execute a pure and precise golf swing to launch a golf ball. I rotate through a set of Hogans and Powerbuilts in my bag and only play courses that allow walking. The movement back to pureist equipment is on the rise and we're quickly gathering more steam to fuel the revolution.

[persimmonpal]

Hi Jurren..
Speaking of the Australian... can you send me your shipping address? I will be shipping them out very shortly!
-John

[Sid Vicious]

[quote name='wrmiller' date='31 January 2010 - 11:17 PM' timestamp='1265001473' post='2218293']
Received my Staff tour block driver, and it is in very good shape, with some clear coat(?) peeling off on the sole plate. Had both the driver and 3w fitted with some new grips yesterday, and I plan to hit the range with both next Sat. If things 'go well' I'll put them in play on Sunday. I suspect though, that I will need more than just one stint at the range to relearn these clubs, but it is one I'm looking forward to.

If I decide to stay with the persimmons, I'll likely upgrade at some point to either the Louisville, or Joe Powell offerings.

And if I don't ruin the Staffs, I'll likely be back here to ask questions on how to refinish them.
[/quote]

Find a professional refinisher. There are a few who subscribe here, no doubt. You should do it soon too, since the varnish on the sole plate is flaking and you don't want to end up with moisture seeping into the block. It probably ain't cheap, but it's worth it if you're gonna use 'em.

[Sid Vicious]

Sounds like it's just about time to start brainstorming to organize a retro tourney. We could have some state and regional qualifiers, then if there's enough interest, maybe a national championship. I know there's a few tourney out there, so we could probably hook up with them and form some sort of alliance.

I need to look around and find me some old PowerBilts like I had when I was a strapping young flat-belly! Already have the WS Goosies in the bag.

[freddiec]

OH Wow, Can't wait to see that Australian all finished!

[drewspin]

[quote name='84425' date='30 January 2010 - 06:40 PM' timestamp='1264894815' post='2215216']
or the Wood Brothers Australian i bought recently and is currently being refinished.
[/quote]

That sounds familiar

[Sid Vicious]

What kind of balls are you guys playing? I would think the low-compression stuff out there right now is very similar to balata.

[bchester6]

Wilson Zip is good for woods. Callaway with the hexagonal dimples play probably the best though.

[freddiec]

I always play either a Titleist 100 Tour Balata or a Titleist Professional. 90 compression Balatas are also great and they are super soft.