Ken,
Not entirely sure what point your making but I'll try to expand on my thoughts.
you say ; "Fair enough. Following up on your next answer, however, it's reasonable to say that the majority of clubs available today are from 1905 to 1930, and the courses available to play on are at least somewhat amenable to playing with the tools of that era.
And the ProV1 is a pretty good replacement for the 1.62" balls of the day. IMHO. "
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1905 - 1930 would be an inarguable timeframe from whence the majority of wooden shafted clubs were manufactured for golfs rapidly growing market. Most notably in the USA.
ANY golf course is amenable to playing with ANY tools of ANY era IMO ! The difference in definition transpires when people involved in organised hickory golf / hickory events, put an emphasis on authenticity & hickory golf.
While the golfer may well possess authentic clubs, does he / she also have authentic golf balls and an authentic course to play upon ? I doubt it very much !
To find the best available to replace anything - does not make it authentic IMO.
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Ken said ; "I believe he's referring to the fact that the oversized ball would also float. A modern 1.68-1.62 ball nearly floats, and only small changes in weight or diameter will get it to float."
Not being a scientist, I would have thought that the material substance would have been a main constituent factor as it certainly was with gutta percha golf balls. As there was / is differing strains of the gutta species the resulting fact was that some gutta's floated in water and others sank. I remember some confusion on this matter on a previous thread relating to the definition of a "Floater" ? A gutta percha ball of any size and diameter made with appropriate gutta gum will float. That's a fact.
The term floater in regard to golf has an entirely different meaning in the USA as it usually relates to 1930's Balloon ball. A floater in the UK was a golf ball which floated on water and was played from casual water etc as being part of play.
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Ralph said ; "The vast majority of pre-1931 golf is played trying to replicate teens and twenties era rubber ball golf. That is what I coined about 15 years ago as Hickorygolf."
Of course, your welcome to term anything you want with whatever you want, Ralph, but I believe you are misguided in doing so. I seem to recalll another thread in which you expostulated the creation of making myths in golf history.
To term hickorygolf as being in the era 1905 - 1930 is, IMO. the nurturing of more myths. Unless we ignore the fact that hickory was being imported to the UK as early as the 1820's and that it had no relevance to the sport and it's history ?
Alfie.