One-club Tournament?

[Tom_Doak]

Does anyone know if there is a contingent of players who are really good at this?

I was out on Old Macdonald on Sunday and played the last seven holes with one club.  With the greens mostly open in front, it worked well enough, so I mentioned it to Josh Lesnik and Mike Keiser, and they thought maybe we should try to have a one-day, one-club tournament.

Would it attract a good field?  [Besides me, of course ... I'm definitely in, and I would guess I'll be the only entrant with my particular choice of club.]

[Brent Hutto]

Would it attract a good field?  [Besides me, of course ... I'm definitely in, and I would guess I'll be the only entrant with my particular choice of club.]

Putter?

[Tom_Doak]

Putter?

No, but it is one of the few courses where you COULD putt it most of the way around if you wanted.  (#3 would be pretty difficult.)  In fact, I look forward to the day when Grant Rogers tries that and reports a score.

[Ally Mcintosh]

Putter?

No, but it is one of the few courses where you COULD putt it most of the way around if you wanted.  (#3 would be pretty difficult.)  In fact, I look forward to the day when Grant Rogers tries that and reports a score.

I'm surprised!... I've seen you knock a putt to 2 feet from half way down the 11th fairway at Baltray...

I'd probably choose a wedge if I were looking for a score... but maybe a 7-iron for more fun..... and hypothetically I'd most certainly be interested... But I won't be travelling to Bandon Dunes for it unfortunately...

[Shane Wright]

Tom -

A one club tourney is a fantastic idea for OLD MAC.  If people really want to have fun and improve their games, playing an entire round with just one club is one of the best ways.  There is WAY more strategy than most people think.

EX.  350 yard hole and you have a 5 iron which you typically hit 190 - do you try and punch a ball to 160 so you have a full shot into the green, or hit a full tee ball with 160 5 iron into the green.

You also are taught about hitting from more fairways and missing on the correct side of the green. 

Playing this way at OM, you will DEFINITELY be forced to play the true links style shots. 

I think it is a fabulous idea.

[Harwell Palmer]

There is a ONE CLUB GOLF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP played this year in Georgia:

http://oneclubgolf.com/default.aspx

I know you mentioned playing at OM but I have heard of these type tournaments in the past.

Most are played with a five iron or six iron.

HP

[Niall C]

Quite a lot of clubs in the UK have 3 or 5 club comps. The fun is choosing which clubs to pick. My best score at Silloth off the medal tees was in the 5 club tournament when my biggest club was the 5 wood. I scored 6 over off a 10 handicap and should have done better as I was only 1 over after 12. What it did for me was that I routinely picked more club than needed and hit it softly and thereby getting into less trouble. If only I could convince myself to adopt that strategy in normal comps.

Niall

[Brian Joines]

The schedule for this year's Wolf Run member guest has a 9-hole, one club match. I haven't played in the event before, so I'm not sure if this is a tradition or a first time deal. I'm looking forward to it and think that it could be a lot of fun. I'm guessing the strategy of choosing one club at Wolf Run and Old Mac would be quite a bit different. You're definitely not getting around WR with a putter.

[Mark Pearce]

Each year my home club has a "Long Hole" competition, where competitors tee off from the first tee and play "cross country" to hole out at 13 (the fiurthest point from the club house, then tee off again on 15 (14 is a short par 3 from 13 Green to 15 tee) and play cross country to hole out at 18.  It's also a one club competition.  Most competitors use a utility club for this competition and take stroke and distance if in a deep bunker.

[Steve_Roths]

Perhaps you could do it at Old Mac on April 1st similar to the Old Course doing their reverse routing on that day. 

[Scott_Burroughs]

Putter?

No, but it is one of the few courses where you COULD putt it most of the way around if you wanted.  (#3 would be pretty difficult.)  In fact, I look forward to the day when Grant Rogers tries that and reports a score.

My money would be on Neil Regan in the putter-only flight.

My old club (RIP) had a one-club & a putter tournament & 6/7 irons were the common clubs used.  Didn't want too long of an iron if you were in thick rough or bunkers.

[Mike Hendren]

This brings back some fond memories.  Our nine holer back home had a great three hole loop starting at the clubhouse with a 480 yards par five, 150 yards par three and 300 yard par 4.  Perfect for 7-iron shots.  After work Dad and I would play with one club plus putter or sometimes putter only - in which case my Ram Zebra mallet was highly effective with a tee.

There was an annual 4th of July 1 club tournament as well.

Mike

[Jud_T]

I've seen guys hit a putter 200+ yards off a tee...Sounds like a load of fun, but not to throw cold water on the idea, would you really get a good turnout? Guys make a pilgrimage to play the courses only so often.  That combined with the travel time to Bandon and most Americans preoccupation with posting a score may conspire against it...Maybe a good gimmick to attract some extra play during the off-season?

[Garland Bayley]

Putter?

No, but it is one of the few courses where you COULD putt it most of the way around if you wanted.  (#3 would be pretty difficult.)  In fact, I look forward to the day when Grant Rogers tries that and reports a score.

I'm surprised!... I've seen you knock a putt to 2 feet from half way down the 11th fairway at Baltray...

I'd probably choose a wedge if I were looking for a score... but maybe a 7-iron for more fun..... and hypothetically I'd most certainly be interested... But I won't be travelling to Bandon Dunes for it unfortunately...

Uuuuuummmmmmmmmmmmm, Ally? Ground game?

[Alex Miller]

My high school team did one of these at the end of the golf season each year.

Since the private club near our school let us play for next to nothing we played with one club and filled divots and fixed pitchmarks as we went. The club of choice there was usually a 5 or 6 iron. There were often scores in the 70's, and one year a kid beat his average!

[jonathan_becker]

My club had a one-club tournament last week to raise money and there was a $75 entry fee to participate.  When I first heard about it, I wondered what charity the event was for and it had my interest.... until I was told it was to raise money for new patio furniture. 

[John Keenan]

So do we really need 14 clubs?  

The walking golfer site has some interesting articles on people who play with  less than 14.    1 may be extreme  

I guess minimalism in both design and clubs will be the new mantra

[Jim_Kennedy]

From the photos that have been posted it would seem that an old Play Club or Grass Putter might be the club of choice, as long as you stayed away from the bunkers.

We don't have a formal one-club event but we play that way at times.

[Jud_T]

So do we really need 14 clubs?  

The walking golfer site has some interesting articles on people who play with  less than 14.    1 may be extreme  

I guess minimalism in both design and clubs will be the new mantra

I guess I won't have a problem carrying!    

[Brent Hutto]

Putter?

No, but it is one of the few courses where you COULD putt it most of the way around if you wanted.  (#3 would be pretty difficult.)  In fact, I look forward to the day when Grant Rogers tries that and reports a score.

I'm surprised!... I've seen you knock a putt to 2 feet from half way down the 11th fairway at Baltray...

I'd probably choose a wedge if I were looking for a score... but maybe a 7-iron for more fun..... and hypothetically I'd most certainly be interested... But I won't be travelling to Bandon Dunes for it unfortunately...

Uuuuuummmmmmmmmmmmm, Ally? Ground game?

I'll bet Phil Mickelson could do it with his 64-degree wedge and break 80. Maybe that would be a dream match...we could take bets on Shivas with a blade 4-iron and Phil with a Callway 64...if they could just play the Reverse Jans that would really be something!

[Tom_Doak]

would you really get a good turnout?

That's what I'm trying to find out.  I think if we had prize money for the first ten spots in the pro division we would see some players ... though probably not Phil Mickelson or Seve.  [Heck, I would pay to pick up Seve in a private jet and bring him to Bandon just to watch that.]

It's the amateur division I was wondering about.

[JC Jones]

[Heck, I would pay to pick up Seve in a private jet and bring him to Bandon just to watch that.]

WOW!  Feeling good about the response to Old Mac I see...

[Tom Huckaby]

Question:

Especially on a course with reputedly such wild and great greens as Old MacDonald, why force anyone to putt with something other than a putter, or use a putter for all the shots so he is able to putt effectively?

Wouldn't a one club plus putter event achieve all the cool ends Shivas mentions in terms of creative shots, and then let some success be achieved on the greens?

[Tom_Doak]

[Heck, I would pay to pick up Seve in a private jet and bring him to Bandon just to watch that.]

WOW!  Feeling good about the response to Old Mac I see...

JC:  That quote was all about Seve, not about Old Macdonald.  I just miss watching him play golf.  Although that link about the one-club tournament mentioned Trevino ... that would be my dream match ... me and Seve vs. Urbina and Trevino.

With Seve not available, maybe I can get Mike Clayton to fill in ... or his new architectural partner ... I have seen Mike hit some silly-good shots just for fun.

[Ed Oden]

Seems like an event tailor made for the Sheep Ranch.