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Jay Mickle

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Re: Hickory players - thoughts and advice
« Reply #75 on: March 04, 2015, 08:21:59 PM »
First step is to join the Carolina Hickory Golf Association, the largest State association with over 400 members.
http://carolinahickory.ning.com/
One of the great things about hickory is the lack of anger management issues, just one smash of the club and you have some very expensive kindling. Another great benefit is the people that you meet and their appreciation for the game of golf and its history.
« Last Edit: March 04, 2015, 08:26:51 PM by Jay Mickle »
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Will Peterson

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Re: Hickory players - thoughts and advice
« Reply #76 on: March 04, 2015, 08:25:57 PM »
Any Florida hickory players can PM me.  We have monthly hickory events around the Tampa / Orlando area.
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Brian Finn

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Re: Hickory players - thoughts and advice
« Reply #77 on: March 05, 2015, 11:11:24 AM »
Quote from: Jay Mickle on March 04, 2015, 06:44:27 PM
If you are ever in the NC Sandhills get in touch, we have hickory matches about every 2 weeks.

Quote from: Matt MacIver on March 04, 2015, 07:40:56 PM
Brian and Jay - thanks for the well wishes and inspiration. I live in Charlotte so give me some time to get them (me) broken in and maybe I'll venture out with them in the wild.

As fate would have it, I am moving to Charlotte in a couple of months.  I will get in touch with both of you to set up a game.  Thanks!
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Matthew Mollica

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Re: Hickory players - thoughts and advice
« Reply #78 on: October 08, 2015, 03:40:42 PM »
Two questions for the hickory players of GCA, regarding Stewart clubs -


i. Anybody ever seen a Niblick with an inspection dot on it?


ii. Anyone ever seen a Stewart iron with the pipe filled with a red colour / paint?


Thanks for any replies, and any information able to be provided.


Matthew
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Jud_T

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Re: Hickory players - thoughts and advice
« Reply #79 on: October 08, 2015, 05:01:26 PM »
Matthew,


I believe some of our own GCAers have niblicks with inspection dots and there are several examples in Ralph Livingston's definitive 'Thomas Stewart Jr.- Golf Cleek and Iron Maker'.  Can't recall seeing a red pipe though.  Calling Chris Hufnagel....
« Last Edit: October 08, 2015, 05:04:56 PM by Jud_T »
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Golf is a game. We play it. Somewhere along the way we took the fun out of it and charged a premium to be punished.- - Ron Sirak

Chris_Hufnagel

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Re: Hickory players - thoughts and advice
« Reply #80 on: October 08, 2015, 08:27:51 PM »
Matthew,


I was actually on a flight home from Boston when I saw this thread surface to the top of the board again, and I always get excited to see what someone is posting about hickory golf - especially if they want to discuss Tom Stewarts. Now finally home, I wanted to respond...


Regarding niblicks with Stewart inspection dots, I haven't seen a lot of them to be honest.  I read once that approximately 2% of the total clubs Stewart's forge produced had inspection dots - which denoted they were supposedly personally forged or inspected by Stewart himself.  At the same time, Stewart's forge was one of the most prolific of the era – at the height of production his forge, just a quarter mile from the Old Course, was producing 3,000 to 5,000 head per month - so while rare, they are out there - albeit commanding hefty premiums these days in the market.


Below is what the famed writer O.B. Keeler penned about inspection dots in his "Out of Keeler's Golf Bag" newspaper column...


"And when Old Tom Stewart personally inspects a club head and finishes it off there's a round dot punched into it.  You might look in your set and see if any of the T. Stewart irons have a round dot punched into them.  Probably not.  Those I got from his shop didn't have it, but they were marked 'special'.  However, Bobby Jones had a lot of copies made of his favorite clubs and I noticed they all bore the little round dot, which means that T. Stewart himself finished them."

Below is a photo of one of my niblicks which does have the inspection dot, this is a set I purchased from Ralph's collection...





As Mr. Tigerman mentioned, there are a couple of dot-punched niblicks documented in Ralph's book - my club on page 174, and a particularly nice RTJ niblick on page 277 - that was produced for A.W. Armour of the Armour Meats Company.  There may be others, but I didn't see them in my quick flip through tonight.


As it relates to your second question, I have only seen one red-colored pipemarked Stewart - that was on eBay a while back.  I am pretty sure it wasn't rust, as the color was quite rich.  I don't know anything about these and assume the paint fill was done sometime after the club head left the forge and was completed by the owner due to personal preference.


Hope this helps and always a pleasure to pull out Ralph's book, look through my Stewarts and talk hickory golf...


Chris.



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BHoover

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Re: Hickory players - thoughts and advice
« Reply #81 on: October 08, 2015, 09:26:29 PM »
I don't play hickories, but as a history nerd, I find this topic and the idea of finding a new way of playing golf, by returning to the past, to be fascinating. Very interesting reading.
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RSantangelo

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Re: Hickory players - thoughts and advice
« Reply #82 on: October 08, 2015, 09:52:41 PM »
Love watching that old video posted back in the thread...thanks for sharing....

I think it would be fascinating to collect a set and give this a try.  Anyone care to share advice recommendations of trustworthy purveyors and what a good starter set might look like and cost?
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Jay Mickle

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Re: Hickory players - thoughts and advice
« Reply #83 on: October 08, 2015, 10:07:34 PM »
Louisville Golf and Tad Moore both do replicas. I prefer the old ones myself and have found that  Jay Harris, here in Pinehurst  is great at putting together old sets or filling in and fitting the hickory sets.
There seem to be an ever increasing number old club restorers. Should you get yourself a set or just wish give it a try and find yourself in the Pinehurst / Southern Pines are, get in touch.



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Will Peterson

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Re: Hickory players - thoughts and advice
« Reply #84 on: October 08, 2015, 11:44:24 PM »
I met Jay at a hickory event in Orlando.  He made me a custom grip for my putter that is wonderful, and sold me a brassie.  As much as I love playing all vintage clubs, it's so tough to find a decent wood at a reasonable price.  The replica Jay sold me plays great, and is still the only replica in my bag.  Just tell him what your looking for and a little about your game, and he will get you the right sticks.


I met this guy at an event in Cocoa Beach.  He refurbishes vintage clubs, and they look amazing when he's done. 


http://www.woodshaftgolf.com/hickory-golf-clubs-for-sale/



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Matthew Mollica

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Re: Hickory players - thoughts and advice
« Reply #85 on: October 09, 2015, 06:20:16 AM »
Chris, thanks so much for the reply. I recently saw a Stewart niblick for sale on eBay, with an inspection dot. I had not seen any on offer previously across a variety of arenas, with the vast majority of irons I had seen bearing inspection dots being midirons.


I bought the iron, despite having some (perhaps silly) reservation that someone out there is punching inspection dots into these irons, to justify a higher sale price. I'm glad to know there are other niblicks out there bearing the inspection dot, beyond those of Francis Ouimet, and Bobby Jones.





It is a nice looking and balanced head, with a little wear. Scored face, and nice weight. It is also another of those clubs that gives me a buzz of knowing that Tom Stewart himself held it and worked on it, prior to me stumbling upon it.


Regarding the red pipe on the other Stewart iron, I have never seen another like it, and expect it was added much later by someone who may not have loved hickory golf, Tom Stewart and golf history as much as some of us. I may be wrong however! A friend down here in Australia (Ross Baker) refurbished many of my clubs yet left the paint fill alone, as he was unsure of the origins of it. I'm curious that you've seen another before.





Thanks again for the reply Chris ( and Jud_T and others ! )


Matthew
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"The truth about golf courses has a slightly different expression for every golfer. Which of them, one might ask, is without the most definitive convictions concerning the merits or deficiencies of the links he plays over? Freedom of criticism is one of the last privileges he is likely to forgo."

Matthew Mollica

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Re: Hickory players - thoughts and advice
« Reply #86 on: October 09, 2015, 06:47:12 AM »
RSantangelo - you asked about merchants.


I've found eBay to be very good over the short time I've been collecting. I've had few problems, found some wonderful clubs, and also made some great contacts, allowing me to learn more about the field. Those merchants with whom I've dealt, and I would highly recommend, in terms of their great range, honesty, competitive prices, wonderful service, and safe / fast freight, as well as quality information / advice as below.


stixnstuff
billybaroo2
cbgregory123
t.stewartcollector
13under*
ironmaster99
rockawayriver96
iam


Eugene Farrelly at www dot golfantiques dot co dot uk is a gem. He is based in Bath.


Mullocks Auctions have also been excellent.


No doubt there will be other merchants some will endorse.


The Society of Hickory Golfers is well worth joining.
Chris McIntyre (Auld Mac) at auldgolfsociety.com is an incredible source of information.


I cannot recommend a foray into Hickory golf strongly enough. It is wonderful fun.


Matthew
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"The truth about golf courses has a slightly different expression for every golfer. Which of them, one might ask, is without the most definitive convictions concerning the merits or deficiencies of the links he plays over? Freedom of criticism is one of the last privileges he is likely to forgo."

RSantangelo

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Re: Hickory players - thoughts and advice
« Reply #87 on: October 09, 2015, 10:13:47 AM »
Thank you all for the kind and informative replies

I begin a journey!
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Matthew Mollica

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Re: Hickory players - thoughts and advice
« Reply #88 on: November 21, 2015, 03:55:47 AM »
The gents at Hickory Golf Workshop have a great period style canvas bag (with optional simple timber stand) for sale currently.


Visit http://www.hickorygolfworkshop.com/-clubs-and-bags.html to take a look. Perfect style and size for our clubs...


MM
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"The truth about golf courses has a slightly different expression for every golfer. Which of them, one might ask, is without the most definitive convictions concerning the merits or deficiencies of the links he plays over? Freedom of criticism is one of the last privileges he is likely to forgo."

Matthew Mollica

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Re: Hickory players - thoughts and advice
« Reply #89 on: December 04, 2015, 03:16:22 AM »
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"The truth about golf courses has a slightly different expression for every golfer. Which of them, one might ask, is without the most definitive convictions concerning the merits or deficiencies of the links he plays over? Freedom of criticism is one of the last privileges he is likely to forgo."
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