Architects who carry 1-Irons

[igrowgrass]

Ron:

When I bought my set of Ping Eye-2 irons twenty years ago, our club pro ordered the 1-iron as part of the set, telling me that if I didn't want it he would sell it separately.  But I took it out for a test drive, and loved hitting a good shot with it; and there are 3-4 holes at Crystal Downs where I would sometimes hit a 215-220 yard club off the tee.  So, it's been in my bag ever since.

You know me well enough to understand that I'm generally anti-technology ... the rest of my sticks include the rest of those Ping irons, a 7-year-old driver, a 30-year-old persimmon 3-wood, and the same Wilson George Low putter I've used since I was 14.  It's not the original model that Nicklaus used, but it looks identical ... I was a little bummed out that I used it playing with Jack at Sebonack and he never even noticed it!  But I'm sure he would tell me that, like the 1-iron, it's out of date.  As is my golf game!

I've never even hit a hybrid club, although I was doing okay borrowing Phil Friedman's 5-wood and 7-wood back when we were building The Sheep Ranch.

Tom,
How is the sweet spot on that 1-iron  holding up?

Most of the time when playing with people, if they hit the green or the right tier of a green, you might comment, "Nice Shot."  Do you hold Mr. Nicklaus to a higher standard?

[paul cowley]

Tom Doak....I want to say I enjoy and admire your open honesty....and by saying it openly.

[Robert_Walker]

I think Marcel Breuer carried a 1 iron. Mies was a purist too.
I'm not sure about Frank Gehry.

[G Jones]

my 1-iron only goes about 210-220 yards... but good for avoiding the clubhouse from the first tee at Deal...

[JC Jones]

Ron:

When I bought my set of Ping Eye-2 irons twenty years ago, our club pro ordered the 1-iron as part of the set, telling me that if I didn't want it he would sell it separately.  But I took it out for a test drive, and loved hitting a good shot with it; and there are 3-4 holes at Crystal Downs where I would sometimes hit a 215-220 yard club off the tee.  So, it's been in my bag ever since.

You know me well enough to understand that I'm generally anti-technology ... the rest of my sticks include the rest of those Ping irons, a 7-year-old driver, a 30-year-old persimmon 3-wood, and the same Wilson George Low putter I've used since I was 14.  It's not the original model that Nicklaus used, but it looks identical ... I was a little bummed out that I used it playing with Jack at Sebonack and he never even noticed it!  But I'm sure he would tell me that, like the 1-iron, it's out of date.  As is my golf game!

I've never even hit a hybrid club, although I was doing okay borrowing Phil Friedman's 5-wood and 7-wood back when we were building The Sheep Ranch.

The Sheep Ranch.....?  I thought that was just a myth...

[paul cowley]

I think Marcel Breuer carried a 1 iron. Mies was a purist too.
I'm not sure about Frank Gehry.

I don't think Mies golfed....nor Gehry....regularly or at all.

....maybe under the radar.

[Brad Klein]

As for Doak at Sebonack that day, Jack had his hands full with own game and I never did get the impression that he was cozying up to you or your golf bag. Kind of kept his distance most of the time.

[Tom_Doak]

Sean R.:

I learned years ago to be pretty careful about telling a good player they'd hit a good shot.  

I was playing with a friend who was the women's club champion at Winged Foot.  She hit a 4-iron onto the eighth green on the West course, and as I turned around and said "Nice shot" she was throwing the club in disgust!

Great players have a much higher standard than we do.  On the other hand, most of them like it if you recognize and tell them "Nice miss" when they don't hit one perfectly, and it still winds up close.

[Tom Yost]

"It's 195 yards to the end of the fairway; I hit 1-iron there yesterday but I suspect it's less for you. "

This a quote from Tom Doak!  

How many golf course architects carry a 1-iron?  

I carry a zero handicap and I gave that up years ago.  Heck I even gave up my 3 iron for a rescue club.  Is Tom out of touch with the general public?

You didn't realize that most of Doak's courses have one of his signature "1-iron holes" that sets up perfectly for the 1-iron tee shot  ??

Maybe Tom is using it as protection against lightning.  Like Lee Trevino said (and I'm paraphrasing), "Not even God can hit a one iron."  

Or at least he said that in one of the variations of the 7 golf jokes.

 

Tom

[Ron Farris]

OK,
May Mr. Doak is on to something.
I hit my 1-Iron 5 times this morning.  I made par on 4 of the five and the hole I didn't was due to a 3 putt.  Truthfully, I only hit one good shot with the club.  It is hard to hit a one iron the very first shot of the day, especially if you tee of at 5:40 am (it is still dark).

I think I remember Ben Crenshaw saying he wouldn't use an metal wood.  What is in his bag?  Is he carrying a 1-Iron? I don't use all of my clubs that often.  Maybe I will keep it in the bag just for looks, just in case Nicklaus looks in my bag .

[TEPaul]

I used to use a 1 iron all the time---a Ping Eye2. For some years I probably hit it as much as my driver (and oddly it went about as far as my driver--which unfortunatly never went very far. ).

But the most famous 1 iron or 1 iron story in the history of golf has just got to be that Ping Beryllium 1 iron of Davis Love's at Pine Valley in the Walker Cup in '85.

I saw every shot of that match of his and believe me most of the USGA was there and they could not believe what they were seeing.

Think about it---essentially they were watching a window into the future and the new world of ultra distance in golf to come and what they were watching wasn't even a driver---only a Ping Berrylium 1 iron.

PaulC;

I saw a lot of old bags of Davis's in that office of the Love Company. Is that old berrylium 1 iron he used in the Walker Cup there? If it is that is something he really ought to donate to the USGA and this new Arnold Palmer history Center at Far Hills.

That berrylium 1 iron of his is real history, in my opinion.

[Jamey Bryan]

I still have a blade I(minzuno mp) 1 Iron that I use for a back pin on our 210 yard par 3 number 6 (uphill, plays a little longer).   I hit the green about one out of six times, but the feel is worth it.

Jamey

[Daryl "Turboe" Boe]

I have been holding out because everytime I consider takeing my Hogan Edge 1-iron out of the bag I hit one or two absolutely pure shots with it and it stays in the bag.

However this last week I was playing the back tees everywhere we went, and missing more fairways than ususal.  I was getting tired of 200+ yard shots out of the rough and thought the hybrid might finally be in order.  I love the 1-iron off the fairway or the tee, but it was getting a little old trying to hit it out of tough wet bermuda rough this week.

As an aside one of our caddies a while back asked my buddy how old he was 60 years old?  When my friend inquired why he was asking the caddie said "Because we figure 10 years for every headcover in the bag and you have 6."   I guess based on that comment maybe I am just trying to act like a 20 something still.  I am 2 headcovers behind, so I guess I could swap the "Butterknife" for a hybrid and still be cheating my age.

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