One-club Tournament?

[JC Jones]

Actually, come to think of it....

To hit a low, screaming shot 200 yards that doesn't go any more than 5 feet high, 6 tops (which is what a cold bladed wedge does), that ball will need to carry at least 100 yards or so.  At least.  Less, on soft turf.  And to hit ANY iron 100 yards in the air and not more than 5 or 6 feet high is practically impossible, even hitting it with the face!  Think of your all time Sunday best super low punched 3 irons under trees.    I remember mine.  I had about 140 to the pin and couldn't get the ball more than 4 feet in the air or it would have hit branches.  That ball carried about 80 yards or so and rolled the rest of the way - and that was one of the best I've ever hit...

What I'm saying is that it might be aerodynamically/laws-of-physics/mathematically impossible to cold skull a LW 200 yards under normal turf conditions.  The conbination of gravity and friction might make it impossible.

Perhaps you are projecting your own inadequacies on the masses.... 

[Jason Topp]

slingshot?

[Tom Huckaby]

I think the problem with society is that people seem to think putting with a 4iron is a challenge, and not stupid.

 

[Tom Huckaby]

And I'd counter that a far worse problem with society is lawyers who parse over words rather than just cutting through the bullshit.

 

[Tom Huckaby]

OK, I appreciate the lack of bullshit.

But I shall counter by asking, what is the point of the event?  To use one club, or to see what creative shotmaking the course allows?

As I see the point - which is the latter above - it works better with one club plus putter.  One club with such being used to putt on those great greens makes little sense to me.  You'd have lots of creativity followed by a few strokes of stupidity.  I just don't get the worth of that.

But this does still go to 11.

[Jud_T]

OK, I appreciate the lack of bullshit.

But I shall counter by asking, what is the point of the event?  To use one club, or to see what creative shotmaking the course allows?

As I see the point - which is the latter above - it works better with one club plus putter.  One club with such being used to putt on those great greens makes little sense to me.  You'd have lots of creativity followed by a few strokes of stupidity.  I just don't get the worth of that.

But this does still go to 11.

Tom,

Some clowns, like me, who don't hit the ball the prodigious distance that Shiv does but can chip and putt just as effectively with say a rescue club may choose that option and try to avoid the bunkers at all costs.  Throwing in the putter significantly reduces the importance of the club selection, which is one of the most interesting parts of the excercise....

[Tom Huckaby]

Jud:

Oh I get that the putter could be used off the green, and that does make the choices easier.

I just also do believe that shows creativity in and of itself, and also, the negative of stupid putting with non-putter clubs outweighs this negative.

But if you want, we can take George's approach (stated on last page) and state in the rules that putter can be used on the defined putting surface (ie where you can mark your ball) ONLY.

TH

[Tom Huckaby]

OK, there's no such thing as a creative putt.

But there sure as hell is such thing as an asinine shot that shows nothing at all - which is what putting with 4irons is.

You seem to want that for this event.

I continue to fail to see its worth.

[George Pazin]

Now that we've sufficiently side-tracked and nit-picked this thread to death, can I ask Tom D what his mystery club is?

Mine's still the 7. And I think I would fare much better in a one club match against just about anyone than I would in a straight up match, which kind of violates one of my fundamental theorems...

[Tom Huckaby]

Huh.  Discussing the very worth, purpose, and format for this has become defined as side-tracking and nit-picking.  This place truly has gone to hell.

So OK sure, I'd be interested in what club anyone would use.  George is down for a 7iron.  I think I need a little more heft, to have a chance of reaching some par 4s.  Put me down for a 5.  And one thing (perhaps the only thing) shivas is right about here is that one MUST go with a blade-style iron... so that one can effectively open it up and cut it.

[JESII]

My bet for Tom is 5 wood

[Tom Huckaby]

My bet for Tom is 5 wood

Never been to OM.. but wouldn't he be deader than dead with that the second he gets in a bunker, or requires a shot with any loft?

Are there none of the latter required?

[JESII]

Tom,

Are you really looking for rationale behind my blind guess?

Go play golf!

[Garland Bayley]

I'll bet Phil Mickelson could do it with his 64-degree wedge and break 80.

Ironically, I'd take that bet just about anywhere other than the Jans...because it's only about 4800 yards...


But at 7000 yards, every par 4 between 300 and maybe 380 yard par 4.5 for him and every par 4 over 380 yards or so is a par 5 for him, and any par 3 over 180 or so is about a par 3.5....and think about the par 5s:  a 550 yard par 5 is a par 6.5 at least, maybe a par 7.

I figure with a 64 degree, he's playing to a par 90 or so, all due to distance constraints....

Uummmmmmmmmmm Dave,

Ground game.

If you can hit a putter 200 yards, I bet Lefty can hit the wedge that far too.

No he can't.  Nobody can. 

Well, Matt Hunt has a friend that can hit it 280.

[Tom Huckaby]

Tom,

Are you really looking for rationale behind my blind guess?

Go play golf!

I don't get to play golf, so hell yes I am looking for your rationale, or his if that's the choice.
 

[George Pazin]

Huh.  Discussing the very worth, purpose, and format for this has become defined as side-tracking and nit-picking.  This place truly has gone to hell.

What more did you hope to get out of Shivas?

[Tom Huckaby]

Shivas, where we differ is I would love the flop shot with the 4iron, but still find it stupid to putt with that club.  I don't see it as watering down anything, I see it as adding a stupid shot.  On the rest we are right on.

I am also thinking now that this course is maybe so wide, and the bunkers so avoidable.. that perhaps no lofted shots are ever going to be required?  If that is the case, I might use hybrid... say 19 degrees?

And George, Shivas is not the one who accused others of nit-picking and side-tracking.

[Steve Wilson]

I used to do the one club thing a few times a year.  I didn't shoot that much higher than my handicap, but I was playing on wide open courses wherer you could run the ball onto most greens. 

Lately, I don't get out enough to add the novelty of one club to the mix as I still set aside an occasional outing with the hickories.  I almost always chose a 5-iron or a 6-iron.  I really didn't experience any hardship puttting with a mid-iron, and I think putting with a 4-iron would be even easier.  The notion of a 20 yard 4-iron flop shot is daunting.  I may try that out behind the house.  The worst thing that can happen there is a bladed shot that kills some wildlife. 

[George Pazin]

And George, Shivas is not the one who accused others of nit-picking and side-tracking.

Of course he isn't, that's why I responded. I even agreed with you that I'd prefer the 1+ format. It just seems to me that you guys have reached an impasse and I, for one, would love to know what Tom's mystery club is.

You are free to tilt at windmills, should you so desire. Apologies if my post somehow offends you.

[Tom Huckaby]

Your apology is accepted.

And sure, I'm interested in Doak's choice, but I am also interested in what club others would choose.

[Garland Bayley]

Your apology is accepted.

And sure, I'm interested in Doak's choice, but I am also interested in what club others would choose.

Well, I have this hybrid sand wedge that I built with an extra long shaft. If I hit it a little thin, it goes miles and miles. If I hit it right it goes miles and miles nearly straight up, and then nearly straight down 90 yards away. Now if I could only figure out which shot I was going to hit ahead of time. 

[Tom Huckaby]

First guy to say he'd choose one of those cheesy adjustable clubs that ratchets from 2 iron down to SW deserves to be forced to bend over 10 yards in front of JC while he tries to full-swing blade a lob wedge 200 yards!

http://divnickgolf.com/adjustable/

Funny.. that's EXACTLY the club I was expecting you to choose... loophole, you know?
 

[Tom Huckaby]

Well at least it's not an attempt to use two clubs in a one club tournament! 

Of course, no one would ever do that.  One would follow the rules as prescribed, both the letter and spirit, right?

And since such rules were never stated, and thus open to question/suggestion.... well....

[George Pazin]

Huck, honest question, no ill intent:

Have you ever tried putting with an iron, any iron?

I still prefer your proposed 1+, but it wouldn't make that much difference to me if I were putting with a 7 iron. And that's sadly speaking from experience.

Can't see using any wood or rescue club - upside too small, downside too big.

[Tom Huckaby]

Are you freakin' kidding me?

No, I've played golf for 40 years and I've never tried putting with an iron.  Uh huh.

As for use of a hybrid, it would turn on the course.  If zero lofted shots are required, why not?