Playing Hickory Golf

[stixman]

Hej Andy,
I shall be in Sweden at Flommens GK for the Swedish Hickory Championship, (big event 100+ players) !st w/e in August. I'm staying at Falsterbokanal and will probably stay a couple of nights at Viken. Hope your family holiday plans don't clash, otherwise it's time to make a change Stix

[majic]

Hickory at Augusta Saturday and Monday[attachment=2700013:ImageUploadedByGolfWRX Mobile1428453456.135799.jpg][attachment=2700015:ImageUploadedByGolfWRX Mobile1428453475.887451.jpg][attachment=2700017:ImageUploadedByGolfWRX Mobile1428453494.070332.jpg]

[Bella Woods]

That's awesome Tad

I bet they enjoyed the experience

[stixman]

Any names to faces, Tad, who, what and why?

[gvogel]

[quote name='stixman' timestamp='1428480424' post='11309553']
Any names to faces, Tad, who, what and why?
[/quote]

Sandy Lyle enjoys hickory golf, and won the World Hickory Open last summer if I am not mistaken. Sandy and Tad are great friends.

The player in the orange shirt certainly looks like Ben Crenshaw.

[majic]

The pictures are of Ben Crenshaw and Jerry Pate.

[majic]

Sandy plays Augusta with his hickories I made for him. Pall Mall 3 Star woods and Star OA irons and finishing his set off with a brass Chicopee. Great practice.
He played the course from the front of way back tees. He had the clubs on practice area Monday and some players hit them. His goal is to win the Par 3 with hickory.
Sandy has made the last 2 cuts since he started playing his hickories for enjoyment during early practice then bringing his Bridgestones out Thursday.

[oldschoolrocker]

Great stuff Mr. Moore!!! Thank for for allowing us the glimpse.

[birly-shirly]

[quote name='majic' timestamp='1428500696' post='11310501']
Sandy plays Augusta with his hickories I made for him. Pall Mall 3 Star woods and Star OA irons and finishing his set off with a brass Chicopee. Great practice.
He played the course from the front of way back tees. He had the clubs on practice area Monday and some players hit them. His goal is to win the Par 3 with hickory.
Sandy has made the last 2 cuts since he started playing his hickories for enjoyment during early practice then bringing his Bridgestones out Thursday.
[/quote]

I've been a fan of Sandy since I was a kid, but that's just awesome. I hope the Augusta brass appreciate it just as much.

[Blade Junkie]

I wonder if we will see Ben Crenshaw tee it up in a World Hickory Open one day .. hope Sandy is able to talk him into it. Of all the 'name' American players, Crenshaw, with his reported deep love of the history and traditions of the game, is the one who is "most likely" to play I guess ...

I walked the last 8 holes down the fairway with the Lyle group at last year's WHO. Sandy can still hit a great ball that's for sure. Some of his iron shots were just immense. He had about 160 to the green from deep rough under the trees near the train track on the par-5 14th "Lucky Daddy" and hit it to about 15 feet with the Star OA Spade Mashie. All of us watching agreed we would have just been thinking about a sideways hack out (hopefully) onto the fairway.

He shot 69 in that 2nd round (1-under). Good stuff!

[AndOh]

[quote name='stixman' timestamp='1428398655' post='11301043']
Hej Andy,
I shall be in Sweden at Flommens GK for the Swedish Hickory Championship, (big event 100+ players) !st w/e in August. I'm staying at Falsterbokanal and will probably stay a couple of nights at Viken. Hope your family holiday plans don't clash, otherwise it's time to make a change Stix
[/quote]
Stix
I´ll be back in Sweden at that time - I´ll just have to convince the wife that I need to go to the Swedish Championship In either case I won´t change her for anything.
[quote name='majic' timestamp='1428500696' post='11310501']
Sandy plays Augusta with his hickories I made for him. Pall Mall 3 Star woods and Star OA irons and finishing his set off with a brass Chicopee. Great practice.
He played the course from the front of way back tees. He had the clubs on practice area Monday and some players hit them. His goal is to win the Par 3 with hickory.
Sandy has made the last 2 cuts since he started playing his hickories for enjoyment during early practice then bringing his Bridgestones out Thursday.
[/quote]
Tad - thanks for great pics. If all of the players where to play the Masters with hickories - who do you think would win? I have a feeling Bubba and a couple of others would have a hard time adjusting.
// Andy

[majic]

Andy what I have found is good players play well with hickory. Bubba would find his sweet spots in the heads and shoot a great score.

[scomac2002]

[quote name='majic' timestamp='1428545484' post='11316069']
Andy what I have found is good players play well with hickory. Bubba would find his sweet spots in the heads and shoot a great score.
[/quote]

It's funny, when I first read Andy's comment I thought that Bubba would have the [b]least trouble[/b] of any playing vintage or hickory with his imagination and the amount of curve he puts on a ball.

[AndOh]

[quote name='majic' timestamp='1428545484' post='11316069']
Andy what I have found is good players play well with hickory. Bubba would find his sweet spots in the heads and shoot a great score.
[/quote]

Tad, you are certainly correct. In my head I had it all worked out fine - I just forgot to put it on screen
The idea was: If all players were give a set of hickories and then teeing off - who would win the Masters?
My reason for saying that Bubba and some of the others would have a harder time adjusting is because my very limited experience with hickories has led me to believe that faster swings can suffer more wayward shots and therefore hardhitters would take more holes to adjust. My bet would therefore be on a "slow"swinger - why not a meticulous ball striker like Bernard Langer?
I´m most certainly wrong in all this but you know how the brain works after a nice dinner with the family, not having to get up to work, and that extra whisky that felt like such a great idea at the time.
// Andy

[stixman]

[quote name='AndOh' timestamp='1428567629' post='11317273']
[quote name='majic' timestamp='1428545484' post='11316069']
Andy what I have found is good players play well with hickory. Bubba would find his sweet spots in the heads and shoot a great score.
[/quote]

Tad, you are certainly correct. In my head I had it all worked out fine - I just forgot to put it on screen
The idea was: If all players were give a set of hickories and then teeing off - who would win the Masters?
My reason for saying that Bubba and some of the others would have a harder time adjusting is because my very limited experience with hickories has led me to believe that faster swings can suffer more wayward shots and therefore hardhitters would take more holes to adjust. My bet would therefore be on a "slow"swinger - why not a meticulous ball striker like Bernard Langer?
I´m most certainly wrong in all this but you know how the brain works after a nice dinner with the family, not having to get up to work, and that extra whisky that felt like such a great idea at the time.
// Andy
[/quote]

Oh yes, we are going to love you in the Hickory Camp.... our kind of brain working guy!

I recall a few years ago a few holes were played with hickory on The Old Course at the St Andrews Open. Ernie Els was one and he struggled, Monty was another and he coped. Having said that,I don't think they were playing with new shafted replicas but with some ratty old originals.

[act0fgod]

Some great PR for Tad. Looks like Tiger may be interested in hickory golf. Tad you get a call yet from his "people?"
[url="http://www.thenational.scot/sport/golf-hickory-dickory-turn-back-the-clock.1859"]http://www.thenational.scot/sport/golf-hickory-dickory-turn-back-the-clock.1859[/url]

Also interesting that Sandy Lyle plans to put the hickory putter in play. Figure I'll start a new thread about this as well.

[Blade Junkie]

[quote name='act0fgod' timestamp='1428573447' post='11317367']
Some great PR for Tad. Looks like Tiger may be interested in hickory golf. Tad you get a call yet from his "people?"
[url="http://www.thenational.scot/sport/golf-hickory-dickory-turn-back-the-clock.1859"]http://www.thenation...-the-clock.1859[/url]

Also interesting that Sandy Lyle plans to put the hickory putter in play. Figure I'll start a new thread about this as well.
[/quote]

If Tiger gets into this, I have a feeling that the Society of Hickory Golfers might see a little surge in memberships ...

[majic]

Thanks guys. No call yet.

[Nalajr]

Where could I buy a USED VICTOR in a 7 or 8 iron equivalent? Or other great looking repro would be fine too. I just like the looks of those VICTOR irons.

Thanks

Nalajr

[gvogel]

[quote name='Nalajr' timestamp='1428887563' post='11344087']
Where could I buy a USED VICTOR in a 7 or 8 iron equivalent? Or other great looking repro would be fine too. I just like the looks of those VICTOR irons.

Thanks

Nalajr
[/quote]

A 7-iron equivalent would be a Victor 5. I have an extra. PM me your information. It is a regular shaft, so you might need to get it re-shafted.

[chapper30257]

Well, I recieved my Louisville set on Friday and played my first full hickory round today.
Played the whites at 5504 yards and shot 77. Pretty pleased with that. Made 3 birdies andway to many short game related bogies .
I just tried to keep the ball in play off the tee and did a reasonable job of it.
The main challenge swing wise was dealing with the torque . It kind of felt like a soft flex flighed shaft with a noticeable kick through impact. Swinging very smoothly and not rushing from the top kept it mostly in check.
I'm not trying to start a debate here but just wanted to give my impressions of vintage vs.replica.
Granted I have not played very much with either ,and have not hit vintage woods at all, but as far as irons go the replicas played very similar if not identical to originals I have hit. It did not seem there would be a noticeable advantage to either.
I know the discussion is more involved than my simple impression. I will say the clubs are finely crafted and as my playing partner said "Those are almost too pretty to hit".
Thanks for listening to my ramblings.

[chapper30257]

Here is my hickory bag.
It is all Louisville Golf.
Jack White Driver 12*
Spoon 16*
Clerk 21*
Precision Irons 2-8
Stewart Maiden Niblick
HB putter

[Fellaheen51]

Very nice set of clubs and bag you have there sir. Thanks for posting the pictures. Also enjoyed your on-the-course impressions from your round. We never ramble around here, we just like to offer up detailed discussions of our observations of things. A 77 is an excellent score first time out with your hickory sticks. Actually, anytime playing any clubs in my book.

As part of my continuing education on hickory golf clubs (becoming increasingly fascinated by the ideas discussed here), would you mind posting a WITP of your clubs. Developing a "cheat sheet" of club names and modern equivalents that I carry with me in my travels looking at/for classic clubs. Never know what I may run into and I want to be prepared. Believe I counted 11 in the last picture. TIA for any info provided. Really like the bag as well.

[hollabachgt]

As part of my continuing education on hickory golf clubs (becoming increasingly fascinated by the ideas discussed here), would you mind posting a WITP of your clubs. Developing a "cheat sheet" of club names and modern equivalents that I carry with me in my travels looking at/for classic clubs. Never know what I may run into and I want to be prepared. Believe I counted 11 in the last picture. TIA for any info provided. Really like the bag as well.

 

This is about the most accurate chart I've seen for hickory clubs and their modern cousins. This chart was originally put together by Ralph Livingston on his site hickorygolf.com

 

[chapper30257]

[quote name='Fellaheen51' timestamp='1428962074' post='11350899']
Very nice set of clubs and bag you have there sir. Thanks for posting the pictures. Also enjoyed your on-the-course impressions from your round. We never ramble around here, we just like to offer up detailed discussions of our observations of things. A 77 is an excellent score first time out with your hickory sticks. Actually, anytime playing any clubs in my book.

As part of my continuing education on hickory golf clubs (becoming increasingly fascinated by the ideas discussed here), would you mind posting a WITP of your clubs. Developing a "cheat sheet" of club names and modern equivalents that I carry with me in my travels looking at/for classic clubs. Never know what I may run into and I want to be prepared. Believe I counted 11 in the last picture. TIA for any info provided. Really like the bag as well.
[/quote]
Thanks for your comments. I edited my post to include witp . Louisville Golf's website will give you the irons name along with the lofts and modern day equivalents.

[Fellaheen51]

Thx for posting this! You instantly obsoleted my handcrafted "cheat sheet". LOL. One further question if I may. Does one play hickories at anything approaching modern lengths? The few hickories that I've run across (besides being in poor shape with inflated prices) seemed quite short in length. I am rather tall (6'3", 38.5" WTF, 7i length = 38") and need to extend most classic clubs to a playable length. Obviously, this is more of an involved process (if at all doable short of reshafting) with hickory clubs. Not to mention the expense involved having them refurbed. Or is it the case with originals of "play it as you find it"? Would like to find a couple of reasonably priced examples to experiment with someday, to see if I'm worthy. Again, TIA.

[hollabachgt]

[quote name='Fellaheen51' timestamp='1428964435' post='11351151']
Thx for posting this! You instantly obsoleted my handcrafted "cheat sheet". LOL. One further question if I may. Does one play hickories at anything approaching modern lengths? The few hickories that I've run across (besides being in poor shape with inflated prices) seemed quite short in length. I am rather tall (6'3", 38.5" WTF, 7i length = 38") and need to extend most classic clubs to a playable length. Obviously, this is more of an involved process (if at all doable short of reshafting) with hickory clubs. Not to mention the expense involved having them refurbed. Or is it the case with originals of "play it as you find it"? Would like to find a couple of reasonably priced examples to experiment with someday, to see if I'm worthy. Again, TIA.
[/quote]

This is not a straightforward question to answer. The set stagger as we see today was not common in sold clubs until the late 30's - early 40's. Often sets would have a double cascade to their stagger, what this might mean is in progression your "7" iron might have a longer shaft than your "6" iron. Also, since most clubs were bought individually to fill a certain type shot, they did not always fit into the modern idea of a "set". That being said. most of my irons are close to modern lengths and are not overly short. A hickory shaft can be lengthened by adding in a splice, but typically it would just be easier to replace the shaft, which is not a hard thing to do.

In general, unless the club is really long or really short, most of us would just play the club as is. If the shaft breaks then we can replace it with a shaft length we might prefer more.

[ebeer]

"Long Jim" Barnes was 6'4". Here's a listing of his clubs with lengths, which seem pretty standard in length particulary when compared to RLIII's list above (like a lot of great players from his day, he carried no niblick). The 4-frame shot is Jim swinging a mid-iron. The 2-frame shot is Jim with his mashie niblick (and note how much he's choked up).

[attachment=2710137:Screen Shot 2015-04-13 at 5.45.58 PM.jpg]
[attachment=2710123:Screen Shot 2015-04-13 at 5.49.20 PM.jpg]
[attachment=2710125:Screen Shot 2015-04-13 at 5.48.26 PM.jpg]

[majic]

There are people playing Victors. The love them so not many used for sale. You can buy the new a few at a time. You will end up with a "set" and your cost will be at the set price or 15% discount.

[majic]

Ben remember that Stewart did not shaft heads. He made heads and sold them to customers that did the shafting to their specs. Ralph compiled a bunch of data from clubs he acquired to get his specs.
I have found that hickories from major retailers that bought and shafted heads to companies like MacGregor and Gibson were very similar.