O/T – Hickory Golf: The Ultimate Hipster Sport

[Chris_Hufnagel]

A colleague of mine brought this story to my attention, I must say I didn't ever expect hickory golf and "hipster" to appear in the same headline, but it is nice to see this great version of our wonderful game receive some nice press along with a couple of photos.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/07/sport/golf/world-hickory-open-golf-championship/index.html?iref=allsearch

[Colin Macqueen]

Chris,

I think Scott Macpherson beat you to the tee!!

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,59675.0.html

Cheers Colin

[Jay Mickle]

We are just a group of  golfers enjoying the game in its purest form showing that the game is more important than the technological innovation that has come to take center stage.

[Chris_Hufnagel]

Chris,

I think Scott Macpherson beat you to the tee!!

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,59675.0.html

Cheers Colin

Sorry Colin, did I miss the link to the article in Scott's thread?

Cheers, Chris.

[John Kavanaugh]

Of course it is hipster, much like most things I did before they became "edgy".  I can only pray they stay away from my recumbent.

[Terry Lavin]

Words other than hipster come to mind. But my inner collegiality has me hitting the mute button.

[JC Jones]

Of course it is hipster, much like most things I did before they became "edgy".  I can only pray they stay away from my recumbent.

So basically all of those posts where you say you go bike riding have been lies. 

[John Kavanaugh]

Of course it is hipster, much like most things I did before they became "edgy".  I can only pray they stay away from my recumbent.

So basically all of those posts where you say you go bike riding have been lies. 

Technically no. I've been on three wheels for years which still is under the legal definition of a bicycle.

[Peter Pallotta]

Of course it is hipster, much like most things I did before they became "edgy".  I can only pray they stay away from my recumbent.

So basically all of those posts where you say you go bike riding have been lies.  

 

Thanks much for the laugh, JC - nicely done there.

Judge - yeah, I hear you. Maybe it's hip only if you play in Brooklyn...

Barney - sorry, dude, I'm not sure exactly where you live, but I am sure that where you live ain't ever been hip

[John Kavanaugh]

Barney - sorry, dude, I'm not sure exactly where you live, but I am sure that where you live ain't ever been hip

Here, there, and everywhere.

[Jason Thurman]

Hipsters aren't what they used to be. Five short years ago, they were emaciated white kids wearing Chuck Taylors who managed to be pretentious and dorky at the same time. Today, hipster is just a euphemism for anyone with snobbishly discerning but still affordable taste about a certain class of consumer entertainment products, be it wine, liquor, beer, cars, clothes, or music. The fact that hipsterism has become synonymous with "discerning taste" is ironic considering that this is the group of people that originally made Death Cab popular, but I digress.

Hipsters have made the vinyl record industry relevant again. They've put a microbrewery in every city and an organic foods section at every grocer. They've revitalized countless old neighborhoods around the country with their love of unique building architecture. These selected industries that they have embraced all reflect a certain desire to return to simplicity, quality, and classic tastes. They tend to be young and educated, which means they have money to spend, and they have thus become a legitimate economic force.

It strikes me that more golf courses should be targeting the hipster/purist market. The marketing of the game is so deeply swathed in horsepiss and noise that the simple appeal of hitting a ball flush and watching it fly has been buried behind white driver heads with racing stripes, horrendous outfits, golf carts and water fountains and Michael Breed's shrill shrieking voice. Hipsters should love golf - it's a classic game with simple appeal rooted in the necessity of escaping modern distractions. But hipsters only embrace that which offers the opportunity to be snobbish while still being affordable. For golf to appeal to them, they will need the aspects of the game worthy of snobbishness - great courses, hickory/bygone era clubs, leather golf bags, tailored attire, etc - to also become more affordable. As long as great golf experiences continue to require travel and lots of money, hipsters are just going to keep playing indoor soccer for $65/season or riding on bike trails for free.

[Brent Hutto]

Jason,

If all you care about is the "appeal of hitting a ball flush and watching it fly" then using an antique hickory shafted club is not the implement you need.

And those fragile antiques are never going to be more affordable than they are right now.

I think you're right on with the "discerning taste" and "snobbishness" parts but off the mark regarding affordability and access.

[BHoover]

I do like the idea of bringing the "hipster" mentality to golf...focusing on purity, classic design and playing conditions, and doing away with much of the superfluous BS and fluff that seems to permeate the game.  I think Jason is hitting on an idea here that has merit.

If hipsters can do for golf what they have done for beer, then I'm in favor of it.

[Brent Hutto]

Be careful what you wish for. Hipsters have fickle taste. I can easily see some of the more unattractive elements on the golf culture adopted by your welcomed hipster element. Guys dicking around with cigars instead of hitting the ball? That would be good hipster bait. Caddyshack-level ugly plaid trousers? I can see hipsters being all over that, dredged up from some hipster thrift store or another. I don't think "hipster golf" at all means "purist golf" in the way you might want to see the term applied. Hipsters have way too much fondness for irony.

P.S. Wasn't it Lenny Bruce who said, "There's nothing sadder than an aging hipster"? I'd reckon the only hipsters golf is ever going to attract is the aging variety.

[BHoover]

Be careful what you wish for. Hipsters have fickle taste. I can easily see some of the more unattractive elements on the golf culture adopted by your welcomed hipster element. Guys dicking around with cigars instead of hitting the ball? That would be good hipster bait. Caddyshack-level ugly plaid trousers? I can see hipsters being all over that, dredged up from some hipster thrift store or another. I don't think "hipster golf" at all means "purist golf" in the way you might want to see the term applied. Hipsters have way too much fondness for irony.

Honestly, who cares whether someone wears plaid trousers? That's all you've got?

[Brent Hutto]

I don't care if you wear plaid trousers or play with hickory clubs. I'm simply pointing out that any "hipster" attracted to golf is more likely to adopt the former than the latter. Maybe you're looking for a term other than "hipster" to mean "someone interested in using antique golf clubs that were obsolete before his daddy was born".

[BHoover]

I don't care if you wear plaid trousers or play with hickory clubs. I'm simply pointing out that any "hipster" attracted to golf is more likely to adopt the former than the latter. Maybe you're looking for a term other than "hipster" to mean "someone interested in using antique golf clubs that were obsolete before his daddy was born".

I'm leaving aside the hickory golf side of the argument.  Maybe you're right that "hipster" isn't the best term.  But the idea of reclaiming formerly great historic neighborhoods, returning to the idea of brewing craft beer, shopping at locally owned stores in the interest of supporting local business could be an idea applied to golf.

[Brent Hutto]

Yes, I guess it could be. But it will involve $$$$$$ if it happens. Those "reclaimed" neighborhoods always have far higher rents than they did before reclamation and craft beer costs a heck of a lot more than mass-produced swill in a "Bud" can.

[Ryan Taylor]

Thurman,

You forgot Pabst, bowling, Brooklyn and Detroit.

Hipsters don't bike on trails, they bike on city streets w/o helmets.

Cowan is a hipster and loves golf.

[Buck Wolter]

Hipster Golf sounds dangerous -- what if you catch your club in your beard?

[BHoover]

Hipster Golf sounds dangerous -- what if you catch your club in your beard?

Old Tom Morris had a pretty sweet beard (at least the one in the GolfNow commercials).  He seemed to be able to swing around that beard.

[Jason Thurman]

I'm leaving aside the hickory golf side of the argument.  Maybe you're right that "hipster" isn't the best term.  But the idea of reclaiming formerly great historic neighborhoods, returning to the idea of brewing craft beer, shopping at locally owned stores in the interest of supporting local business could be an idea applied to golf.

Bingo. I'm not claiming that hickory golf is ready to explode because of hipsters. I'm just noting that there's a huge market for things that are simple, timeless, and of high quality, particularly among the millenials with money that golf is having such a hard time attracting. It's odd that millenials haven't flocked to such a simple and timeless game when they have flocked to things like craft beer, urban parks, biking to work, pesticide and hormone-free food, vinyl records, and Victorian neighborhoods. The problem is that golf has sacrificed its simplicity and timelessness in the name of white titanium, motorized carts, and fluorescent polyester.

Simple and timeless versions of the game still exist, and that's why most of us are here on this site. We've gotten a taste of golf at its timeless best at the Midwest Mashie the last two years, but you have to be pretty deep into the game before you can spend a few hundred dollars on a walking golf weekend dueling in a match play team event at a classic and timeless private club like Kingsley or Canterbury or Crystal Downs or Kirtland. If golf like that were a bit more accessible and marketed, we'd have a whole new demographic ready to jump into the game. They will have to jump gently to avoid tearing their skinny-golf-pants, but there's potential there.

Ryan, you're right about my omissions. While Brent correctly points out that many of the things hipsters love cost a bit more, it's also important to point out their love for things like bowling, PBR, and Detroit. Hipsters will pay a bit more for something that's quality, but the key is that the things they love are still affordable overall. Craft beer doesn't break the bank - it's an extra buck or two for a six pack and honestly, it's cheaper to get drunk on with its higher ABV. You can buy a house in a neighborhood undergoing a renaissance for cheaper than you can generally buy a house in the 'burbs in many cities, and you can walk to the local bar where you get your craft beer and save cab fare and gas money. Vinyl costs more than mp3s, but again, it's not a bank-breaker and you can't put a price on something tangible that also has better sound quality. These people will pay for golf, but they aren't going to dip their toes into the game with a Bandon trip. Great golf experiences that highlight the simple and timeless side of the game have to be available locally and reasonably affordable.

[Tim Pitner]

Hipsters aren't what they used to be. Five short years ago, they were emaciated white kids wearing Chuck Taylors who managed to be pretentious and dorky at the same time. Today, hipster is just a euphemism for anyone with snobbishly discerning but still affordable taste about a certain class of consumer entertainment products, be it wine, liquor, beer, cars, clothes, or music. The fact that hipsterism has become synonymous with "discerning taste" is ironic considering that this is the group of people that originally made Death Cab popular, but I digress.

Hipsters have made the vinyl record industry relevant again. They've put a microbrewery in every city and an organic foods section at every grocer. They've revitalized countless old neighborhoods around the country with their love of unique building architecture. These selected industries that they have embraced all reflect a certain desire to return to simplicity, quality, and classic tastes. They tend to be young and educated, which means they have money to spend, and they have thus become a legitimate economic force.

I'll gladly give hipsters their due here, but crunchy Gen-Xers have plenty to do with these developments too.  

[Dan Kelly]

Hipsters don't bike on trails, they bike on city streets w/o helmets.

In other words, they're damned fools.

Yesterday, on the way to the golf course, I saw a bunch of damned fools (w/ telltale University of Minnesota regalia) heading down the street on their hipster scooters. Some had scarves over their heads; none had a helmet.

All but one of them was female.

I thought men had a monopoly on two-wheeled damned foolishness. Live and learn!

Or: Crash and never learn again.

Which reminds me of a story from my column, published May 19, 1994:

Unclear on the concept:
    From Dr. Friendly of St. Paul:
    ``Across from Tuesday's Bulletin Board was an article reminding people of the importance of wearing helmets for their summer activities.
    ``Naturally, I heartily endorse this advice.
    ``The attitude of some of the young people described in the story who are reluctant to use helmets reminds me of a patient I saw when I was in medical school:
    ``I was working in a rural emergency room one day when the ambulance brought in a 17-year-old who had been in a motorcycle accident. It had just started raining, and the road was slick; he'd tried to take a corner too fast and had laid the bike down and skidded quite a long way.
    ``Fortunately, all he had were scrapes and bruises. He had no head injury.
    ``Just as I was finishing up with him, a policeman came in and brought the young man his helmet, which they had taken off him at the scene. It was obviously a fancy and expensive helmet. It was a full-face unit - shiny, multicolored, metal-flake.
    ``One entire side of the helmet was ruined. It was deeply gouged and had obviously scraped along the asphalt with considerable impact for quite a distance. In some places, it appeared that the entire thickness of the hard shell had been penetrated, and you could see the soft inner lining.
    ``The young man was obviously very lucky.
    ``He looked at the helmet, groaned and said: `Oh, man! I just bought that a week ago! What a waste of $150!'''

[Tom_Doak]

We've gotten a taste of golf at its timeless best at the Midwest Mashie the last two years, but you have to be pretty deep into the game before you can spend a few hundred dollars on a walking golf weekend dueling in a match play team event at a classic and timeless private club like Kingsley or Canterbury or Crystal Downs or Kirtland. If golf like that were a bit more accessible and marketed, we'd have a whole new demographic ready to jump into the game. They will have to jump gently to avoid tearing their skinny-golf-pants, but there's potential there.

If golf like that were a bit more accessible and marketed [and less expensive], it wouldn't be just the hipsters that were signing up.

It sounds like the venue for this would be old-school inner-city munis, but most of those are run badly by the city itself or by a large management company that has no idea what "cool" is.  Although I can certainly see John Ashworth's place in San Diego working for this demographic.