I have no idea what started my interest in hickory golf clubs. It may
have been Allan McKay’s display of antique clubs in the Millbrook Pro Shop. It
may have been the purist in me trying to resist modern technology. But what
started as a growing interest soon became an unhealthy obsession. Turning my back on a lifetime best handicap of
3, I decided to see if I could match my current scores hickory clubs.
There is an entire subculture of golfers who play with hickory clubs.
The Society for Hickory Golfers has regional playing groups in Canada, the
U.S.A, Europe and Australia. Although I haven’t come across any tournaments in
New Zealand last year an Australian won the U.S Hickory Open.
Tournaments and goose feather balls I was getting ahead of myself. First
of all where to find some clubs. Initial investigations were spectacularly
fruitless. And after equally disappointing results collecting clubs from local
garage sales and classifieds I momentarily reverted back to modern technology
and the Internet.
My next obstacle was the price. What do you pay for a 100 year old club
that might come apart on impact. Someone on Trademe was trying to sell an old
set covered in rust for $5,000. The good news for me was that most other people
out there don’t seem to know what these clubs are worth either. However after
being constantly outbid by collectors and antique dealers I panicked.
I picked up a ‘mashie’ for $75 and a ‘spoon’ driver for $100. Both clubs
ready for use. However I couldn’t keep this up so I waited for the bargains and
held my breath. To my bank accounts relief they were out there. 4 clubs for $15
dollars and 6 for $60 including an old leather bag. Unfortunately one auction
of 20 clubs in Christchurch I had to leave as the price crossed over the $200
mark.
As the weeks rolled by, hickory clubs, in varying states of disrepair
began unearthing themselves. Clubs turned up at my front door from Clinton to
Clifden. Now would be the right time to open up Google Maps. From Oamaru,
Omarama, Invercargill and Whangarei the “sticks” rolled in. I even got lucky
with a donation of clubs from Arrowtown Golf Club member Allan Perry who was
leaving the club to retire back in Fielding
After long and labour intensive efforts in the garage cleaning rust off
the heads and rewinding loose pitch string I decided that unless I could use
the clubs as they turned up they would have to be made game worthy by Allan
Mckay out at Millbrook.
After a few weeks I got the call. With polished club heads, some new
grips and finishing oil they looked so good I couldn’t believe they were the
same clubs I had handed over.
Pulling out hickory sticks in front of golfers is not great for your
ego. Although most golfers enjoyed having a look at the clubs and having a
practice swing I got the feeling that no one thought I actually intended on
reverting back to antiques.
Mild mockery about my decision to start playing with hickory clubs was not
going to be aided by dressing myself with plus fours and a tie. Donning a
rather conventional but appropriate outfit my day of reckoning was here. With
clubs assembled and Voltaren ingested Royal Arrowtown awaited.
The Course: Arrowtown Golf Club
Distance: 5409
Par: 70
Challenge: 80 or less
Not a long course by any standards Royal Arrowtown has some teeth.
Random rocks, postage stamp greens, contours to seduce your ball away and 14
holes with out of bounds. On top of the course demons I was using clubs 1-3
inches shorter than my PGF Status blades. Although my regular clubs are older
than I am most of my new hickory sticks predate World War 1.
The weight of the clubs felt the same, the grips were certainly thinner
and the club heads noticeably smaller. Despite all this as I stood on the first
tee looking down toward the first green all I could think about was that my 120
year old weapon of choice might shatter in my face. As I started my backswing I
closed my eyes and hoped for the best.
I didn’t quite hit the sweet spot but a loopy draw drifted down toward
the green. Landing short it rolled down the hill and rested just short of the
green. This left a running chip and a short putt for par. First hole complete.
No damage done.
Onto the Par 5 2nd hole and now the real test. A wooden wood in every
respect. Although I have only been reluctantly using a metal driver for 2 years,
the ‘spoon’ I now held in my hands seemed to be like an obscure distant
relative to even my old persimmon woods . With a hickory shaft and thin
frictionless leather grip almost no thicker than the shaft, 80 now seemed a
long way off.
Expecting the club to fly out of my hand, I swung slowly, without
expectations. To my delight a deep resonant tap
preceded a lazy draw that bounded off down the
gully and came to rest adjacent to the rocky knoll. About 20m shorter that what
I was used to but on the fairway, front and centre. Technology be damned .
Although I thinned my next shot I was on the green for 3. Parking my birdie
putt beside the hole I tapped in for par.
Playing par golf on a sunny day at Arrowtown is like strolling through
gardens in heaven but unfortunately as all golfers know that feeling never
lasts. Grubbing my tee shot on the 3rd I was abruptly brought back down to
earth. Watching my third shot miss the green and bounce off down below I began
to feel like one of the damned from Dante’s Inferno. Destined to forever wander
the golfing underworld with my sticks.
Hanging on for bogey was relieving and after avoiding the Valley of Sin
on the 4th I took out what could only be described as heavy fish slice on the
end of a stick. Landing 2 feet from the hole I was not going to let my birdie
turn into a par. However having used only two putters in my entire life my new
putting cleek didn’t feel entirely comfortable within my grasp.
Golfers have
a language of their own and lining up that short downhill breaking putt all I
could hear was Todd Quirk, “100% of short putts never go in”. Through the break
in the hole and back to even. Par on
the topographical 5th was followed by a certain inevitability on the
short but demonic par3 6th. Dressed with a ratty black cloak, sickle in hand I
could feel it stalking me this round. A double bogey.
As I
walked over to the dramatic 7th hole I knew that 2 over at this point was ok
and I had a couple of short holes ahead of me. Things were looking good. Par
and bogey on the next two holes left me in a good frame of mind as I started my
walk up to the 9th hole tee box.
Although
most holes at Arrowtown offer spectacular views the vantage point from the 9th
tee box is surely the best. So great is the view that when one day my heart gives
out scaling its heights my ashes will be thrown toward the sun from the top.Gazing
down over the entire course one is distracted from the upcoming tee shot. At
times it feels like your standing on a mountain top trying to drop a tiny ball
on an impossibly narrow patch of grass below.However
my new favourite club was ready to deliver. The “spoon” once again hit the
spot. Although my second came up a little short and I ended up with bogey a
pleasing front nine of 39 left me optimistic of a sub 80 round that would be
celebrated with a ridiculously expensive bottle of red wine.
Like any
course Arrowtown has its stretch of tough holes. But for Arrowtown golfers the
simple of act of crossing the road to the river side back nine can have
destructive and irreversible consequences for one’s round.
Although
it felt like I was hitting good shots, reaching greens in regulation started to
become infrequent and frustratingly tough. Unsure of each clubs potential I
started coming up short. 4 bogies in a row and my sub 80 round was heading for
the hills.
After
tapping in for par at the par3 14th I composed myself for the final
4 holes.
Bogey,
bogey, bogey for the nest three holes and my dream was over, the wine was
heading back to the cellar and I just saved myself $200.
The 18th
at Arrowtown is a great finishing hole. With an elevated tee box one can see
the rolling undulations, rocks formations and water hazard. Usually there are 2
options off the tee, simple risk and reward. Option 1 lay up short and leave
yourself 140-160m to the green. Option 2 take on the rocky hill and lake
leaving yourself a pitch into the green.
Without
the distance off the tee I had to put the “spoon” in the bag and take out a
“mashie”. Using the “mashie” again for my second I came up short of the green.
As my 80th shot pitched on the green, rolled past then away and even further
away from the hole I had no choice but to settle for yet another bogey.
I knew
full well what my score was. 82. As I counted my score one last time I headed
back across the road toward the clubhouse. Like
many rounds I didn’t know if I was happy or upset with my score. There was
definitely hope of a score below 80 but with 100 year old untested clubs maybe
80 was a little hopeful for my first round.
With all
my clubs intact and reason to be hopeful the polishing of my old sticks will
continue, the mockery will continue and I will be back chasing the perfect round.
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