If a pro used a featherie, could be still beat you ?

[Kalen Braley]

John,


I can't tell, are you upset that you lost or  because you believed him and took a bet with him playing to a zero?


P.S.  Interesting story....keep em coming?

[John Kavanaugh]

John,


I can't tell, are you upset that you lost or  because you believed him and took a bet with him playing to a zero?


P.S.  Interesting story....keep em coming?

I'm thrilled the man spent that much time with me playing golf. Didn't know who he was until I got home and looked him up. I remember on the 11th hole asking him if he enjoyed golf. It was an enlightening answer.


I lost $15 to a guy who shot 63 and literally inspired me with his respect for the game. That's a huge win.

[John Kavanaugh]

This is a perfect example of why bifurcation is a god awful concept. I have a nice little memory here because we played the same tees with the same equipment. I don't see what purpose is served by robbing me and millions of other golfers of this opportunity.

[Tom_Doak]

This is a perfect example of why bifurcation is a god awful concept. I have a nice little memory here because we played the same tees with the same equipment. I don't see what purpose is served by robbing me and millions of other golfers of this opportunity.

What a load.  If you didn't switch over to playing the new ball all the time, you could always borrow one from your opponent.

[John Kavanaugh]

This is a perfect example of why bifurcation is a god awful concept. I have a nice little memory here because we played the same tees with the same equipment. I don't see what purpose is served by robbing me and millions of other golfers of this opportunity.

What a load.  If you didn't switch over to playing the new ball all the time, you could always borrow one from your opponent.

The dude already gave me the pirate eye when I lugged my fat ass back to the tips. If I would have asked to borrow a ball he would have walked in.

[Matthew Mollica]

So your memories and experiences are a greater priority than long term sustainability of the game John...

[John Kavanaugh]

So your memories and experiences are a greater priority than long term sustainability of the game John...

It's the memories of the millions of golfers who admire the best in the game that are. Memoriy sustains longer than equilibrium.

[Matthew Mollica]

If the game keeps expanding, and equipment tech continues to improve, we will spend more and more on containment fencing, insurance premiums, and safety netting. Memories are all that many golfers will have.

[John Kavanaugh]

If the game keeps expanding, and equipment tech continues to improve, we will spend more and more on containment fencing, insurance premiums, and safety netting. Memories are all that many golfers will have.

Why punish people to sustain something they enjoy? It reminds me of the Priest that asked for a new roof after his sermon.

[corey miller]

Yes he would beat me.  Then again, I think we both know a guy that can beat me with only his putter 

[Matthew Mollica]

If the game keeps expanding, and equipment tech continues to improve, we will spend more and more on containment fencing, insurance premiums, and safety netting. Memories are all that many golfers will have.

Why punish people to sustain something they enjoy? It reminds me of the Priest that asked for a new roof after his sermon.

If anyone mentioned in this thread has been punished, I think we can all agree it is Paul Broadhurst 

[David Ober]

I recently played the tips at my Florida club for the first time because I was paired with Paul Broadhurst. Shot 76 and was only beaten by 13 strokes. He could easily beat me anywhere anytime with a ball that travels 200 yds and lands like a feather. He is 55.

I never know if I'm allowed to tell my "playing with pros" stories here. I have some great ones.

[John Kavanaugh]

I recently played the tips at my Florida club for the first time because I was paired with Paul Broadhurst. Shot 76 and was only beaten by 13 strokes. He could easily beat me anywhere anytime with a ball that travels 200 yds and lands like a feather. He is 55.

I never know if I'm allowed to tell my "playing with pros" stories here. I have some great ones.

Please. Just write it like they might read it. We don't have a very good record for keeping pros as members around here.

[David Ober]

I recently played the tips at my Florida club for the first time because I was paired with Paul Broadhurst. Shot 76 and was only beaten by 13 strokes. He could easily beat me anywhere anytime with a ball that travels 200 yds and lands like a feather. He is 55.

I never know if I'm allowed to tell my "playing with pros" stories here. I have some great ones.

Please. Just write it like they might read it. We don't have a very good record for keeping pros as members around here.

Oh I'm always respectful. I just love the opportunity to play with those guys and was frequently able to at my former club, Bear Creek in Murrieta, California, an early Nicklaus, penal course with rock-hard greens running at 13 to 14 all fall, winter, and early spring. We hosted 2nd Stage of Q-School many years, and while the winner would usually shoot 14 - 18-under, the cut to move on would almost always be over par, with few exceptions.

Tom Pernice, Jr., a 2-time PGA Tour winner and 6-time Champions winner with over $20 million in career earnings was/is a member, and played with us scratch/+ ams regularly. I would get 2 and 2 from him from the back tees, but if I played the blue tees (a 700 yard advantage,) I would play him even or sometimes get 1 and 1, depending on the time of year, etc. We had plenty of good matches, but he would beat me more often than I beat him, for sure, but not lopsidedly -- especially when I played the blues and he played the blacks. That was usually a pretty close match for us -- especially match play.

The back tees at ~7200 are/were just too long for me, as I only drive the ball 235 to 255, including roll, the last few years. But put me inside 150 off the tee on the par 4's regularly, and I "can golf my ball" a bit, as they say. Make no mistake, I suck. I'm a lifelong amateur and I'm not in these guys' league, but I've been as low as +3.5 in my 30's and even last year at 53, I was a +2.0 during my best run of golf in the late summer/early fall.

This is my favorite story of them all, and it doesn't even involve Pernice. Here's the set-up that I posted on another golf forum to see what the comments would be:

(NOTE: At the time, I was a legit scratch player. My back is notoriously awful, and that whole year I hovered between a +1 and a 1. My average index at that time for the previous 12 months was +0.4, a legit "scratch" player:

A Scratch Player Against Phil Mickelson with a 700-yard Advantage...

What do you think would happen? Would the scratch player stand a chance? What if it's the scratch player's home course and Mickelson has played it only a few times previously? Does the scratch player have any hope? If not, how many shots a side should he get from Mickelson to make it fair?

Let's say the course is rated ~76 from the tees Phil is playing and ~72 from the tees the scratch player is playing. And let's say the course was playing "firm and fast," and the greens were perfect tour speed and firmness. 12 - 13 and firm, but able to accept a well-struck shot. Hypothetically.

And then off we went on the thread! The comments were crazy opinionated and they went on and on for page after page. What no one knew is that the match had already occurred. It was a "team match" of myself and two buddies (playing the blues) against Rickie Fowler at his very best, and Phil when he was still ranked in the top-20 in the world. Phil and Rickie had major side-action and we all had lots of bets within the group, side action, etc. It was the coolest thing EVER and I will never forget it. :-)

[John Kavanaugh]

How did it end? Did you keep it under 10 shots?

[David Ober]

How did it end? Did you keep it under 10 shots?

I shot 72, Phil shot 71, Rickie shot 67. The course was playing TOUGH. From the blues the normal slope is 138, but that day, under those conditions, was probably 145ish. Most ams' scores that day were very high. My two scratch am buddies both shot high-70's.


Then ... we played again a month later and Phil and I both shot 70 (and Rickie 65 that day) but we were playing different groups. Conditions a tiny bit easier.


I did an entire shot-by-shot re-cap of the first round. I can post it if anyone wants to read it. It's pretty fun reading.

[John Kavanaugh]

Nothing wrong with more fun.

[David Ober]

Nothing wrong with more fun.

This is as I posted it on another golf forum with minor typos corrected. The match was ~ 5 years ago:




So, since some of you know me and have figured out that the match actually happened (what a shock!), I will run it down, hole-by-hole.

Like always, I just want to say up front what an amazing honor it is to be on the same golf course as these guys. I will never forget this day, because I didn’t just get to play with Phil, but Rickie, too, which I didn’t let on about.

And if any of you wonder why I post this kind of stuff, it’s because I’m still a kid inside. I’m 48, but I still feel like I’m 16, even if my body feels like it’s 60!

Regarding the day: I knew Rickie was going to be in town over the holidays, and because we had played a match against him and Tom Pernice, Jr. and a couple other pros last year, I was hoping we could do the same again this year. I found out a couple days before and that we were, indeed, good to go for another match. In addition, we heard there was going to be a “special guest,” and I had a feeling it was going to be Phil since he lives down in San Diego, and had played our course a month or so before.

Turns out I was right.

So the day arrives, and we are set to tee it at 9:30. I get there around 8:00 to putt and get the feel for the greens. Phil and Rickie arrive around 8:30 and I say hello to both of them. It’s a slow day at the course because it’s a Monday, but there are probably 40 or so people there hitting balls and practicing. There are to be 10 of us playing that day: Rickie, Phil, Pernice, and two other pros that play out of our club. We are going to have a 5 against 5 match against them of 2 best balls. They play the blacks at 7,150 75.7/146, and the amateurs play the blues at 6,450 71.7/138.

Last year, all the pros played together and all the ams played together, but this year we intermingled pros and ams. I had never played with Rickie (though several of our scratch guys have in the past) so I was hoping to play with him this year. Well it turns out I got to play with both Rickie AND Phil along with two of my scratch buddies. I was ecstatic, but tried to keep my emotions in check because, dammit, I had a job to do: Beat them! LOL

So we warm up and it’s very low key. A couple people say hello to Rickie and Phil, but people really do a good job of giving them their space. We head to the first tee with Phil and Rickie, and that’s when the bets start flying. Most of us scratch guys at the club love to gamble it up, so we have no problem with the concept of betting, but it escalates quickly, and before I know it, my two buddies and I are playing our 1 best ball against Phil and Rickie’s one best ball for … let’s just say an amount that I don’t usually play for. LOL

Because I have so much exposure going so quickly, I neglect to get an indie with either Phil or Rickie. If there had been a bit more time on the first tee, I would have gotten an indie with both of them, and I would have asked for 1 a side from the blue tees, which is what my buddy got(?) from each of them. And remember, we have an approximately 700 yard advantage, which means we will be hitting our approaches from close to the same place each day assuming we hit it 260ish and they hit it 300ish.

Oh yeah: And Rickie and Phil had a bet against each other for an amount that I will not divulge, but let’s just say it was enough to keep them both grinding all day so we got their best games. Also, keep in mind this was Rickie’s home course growing up, so he knows every read on the greens and where to miss, etc.

To set the stage: It was very cold in the morning when we teed off. Probably 48 degrees, so I was hitting the ball nowhere. There was little wind, and the greens were perfect. 12ish and rolled that morning (Pernice always makes sure the course is in great shape for a cool thing like this). The greens were so perfect, in fact, that Phil remarked on them multiple times during the day. “These are as good as I’ve putted on in a long time,” and things like that. Our greens really are amazing this time of year.

Finally, I can say that I was only nervous the first couple shots, then I calmed down. I’ve been playing very steady golf lately. My only bad rounds have been in very windy and/or cold conditions (which we get in the fall and winter), but other than that, my ball-striking has been very consistent, and my putting has been solid. So once I got over the opening jitters, I just relaxed, committed to my shots, and played golf. :-)


 

[David Ober]

1) 421/385 Par 4. Trees left. Fairway bunker on right is a 275 carry

OBEE: Nervous first drive into right fairway bunker up against 8 foot lip. Pitch out to 105 yards. cut GW to 8 feet. Make the PAR save.
EVEN

PHIL: Drive down the right side. 100ish to middle-left pin. Hits a wedge that gets near the hole then sucks back to 20 feet. 2 putts for PAR
EVEN

RICKIE: Drive right next to Phil. Wedge to 12 feet. Buries the BIRDIE.
1-UNDER


2) 424/390 Par 4. Two trees guard opposite sides of the fairway and make hitting driver a dicey play for long hitters.

OBEE: 4-wood into right rough. High 6-hybrid that catches the top of the tree and stays just short and right of the green. Pitch up to 8 feet to a very difficult pin and miss the par putt. BOGEY.
1-OVER

PHIL: 2-hybrid down the middle. 8-iron(?) hits into the mount guarding the back of the green and bounds down the hill leaving him a tough two putt. He hits the first putt on a nice line, but about 8 feet long and misses a very difficult, speedy, sliding comebacker. BOGEY
1-OVER

RICKIE: Hybrid a bit short and right. Has 190 in. 6-iron(?) to 20 feet. 2 putts for PAR
1-UNDER



3) 528/494 par 5 (second shot is uphill. Plays longer than 528.

OBEE: Drive down the middle. 4-wood lay-up to left side of fairway. SW from 95 yards to 6 feet. BIRDIE
EVEN PAR

PHIL: Perfect drive and long. 208(?) to pin, uphill a bit. Playing 215ish. Absolutely lasers a cut 4-iron to 4 feet. EAGLE. Wow.
1-UNDER

RICKIE: Drive down the middle. 2-hybrid(?) into deep, right greenside bunker, but pin is on far side of the green, so he has room. Knocks it to four feet and makes the BIRDIE.
2-UNDER



4) 415/381 par 4. Very difficult driving hole with multiple options. Elevated, well-protected green with a large swale bisecting the front-left and back-right portions of the green. Pin is in the tough back-right portion.

OBEE: Drive down the middle, but whiffed. Thin 5-hybrid into deepest bunker on the course. Hit a good bunker shot, but it checks up and I 2-putt from 18 feet. BOGEY
1-OVER

PHIL: Long drive over center-line bunker (290 carry?). Wedge(?) is the right distance, but just a bit left, and it one-hops into a greenside bunker. Very difficult, short-sided bunker shot that he hits well, but he leaves himself 8 feet and misreads the putt and makes BOGEY
EVEN

RICKIE: Drive over center-line bunker, PW to 15 feet. Putt is Center-cut. BIRDIE
3-UNDER


5) 472/389 par 4. A bit downhill on drive. Considerably downhill on approach. Small green, with a large swale bisecting the front and back portions of the green, and the green is guarded by a hazard that runs along the front and left portion of the green the entire way. TOUGH HOLE.

OBEE: 4-wood down right center. Cut 9-iron from 145 to a front left pin to 4 feet. BIRDIE
EVEN

PHIL: Perfect drive. 7-iron from 170 to a foot. BIRDIE
1-UNDER

RICKIE: Drive into right rough. Second shot is long and over back of green. Chips up and over the center swale to a couple feet and saves PAR
3-UNDER


6) 152/114 par 3. Tiny, very shallow green. Trouble short and long.

OBEE: Cut GW to back right pin to 5 feet. Think I misread the putt here and made PAR, EVEN (edited. I shot 72. Either missed a short birdie here or on 3 and I think it was here).
EVEN

PHIL: 9-iron over green to back pin. Makes an amazing up and down to save PAR
1-UNDER

RICKIE: Pulls his tee shot just a tad and has 25 feet EDIT: I think Rickie actually knocked it fairly close here and birdied it. BIRDIE 4-UNDER.


I was fuzzy about the details on a couple holes as the match was two weeks ago and I've played a few rounds since.


7) 437/370 par 4. Trees Left, hazard right, but not especially tight. 2nd shot is to an elevated green that can play tough.

OBEE: Drive down the middle. Cut 9-iron from 128 to 12 feet. Barely miss the birdie and settle for PAR
EVEN

PHIL: Drive down the middle. 9-iron(?) to 10 feet. BIRDIE
2-UNDER

RICKIE: Drive down the middle. 9-iron(?) to 20 feet. 2 putts for PAR
4-UNDER



8: 177/151 par 3. Super tough shot when the pin is in the hourglass, as there is very little green to work with if you miss left or right.

OBEE: 8-iron to a super-tough pin cut in the middle of an hour-glass shaped green. Knock it to 8 feet, but can’t make the tough, breaking putt. PAR
EVEN

PHIL: Phil’s approach catches the swale on the inside part of the hourglass and his ball falls into the collection area. He hits a great pitch shot, but misses the 8-footer and settles for BOGEY
1-UNDER

RICKIE: Beautiful 8-iron(?) that misses the green just to the right. Tough up and down to a dicey pin, but Rickie’s hands are amazing, and he hits a little min-flopper to 4 feet and makes the PAR save.
4-UNDER


9) 539/515 par 5, OB left tee to green. Hazard right tee to green. Relatively wide, though:

OBEE: Drive down the middle. 3-hybrid lay-up to 110. GW to 15 feet, but miss the putt and settle for PAR
EVEN

PHIL: Drive down the middle. 250ish to the pin into the wind. Pushes a fairway wood to the left into the rough. He’s pin high with green to work with. Has about 40 yards to the pin and he … pitches it in!! SECOND EAGLE OF THE DAY!!
3-UNDER

By this time, there was a small crowd of members following us now, and they went wild when Phil made it. So fun.

RICKIE: Drive down the middle, 2-hybrid into front, right bunker. Bunker shot to 4 feet. BIRDIE
5-UNDER


10) 432/406 par 4. Hazard right off tee.

OBEE: Drive down the middle. 7-iron to 20 feet. 2 putts for PAR
EVEN

PHIL: Drive down the left side and barely into the rough. Leaves his approach short and right. Putts it from off the green (the correct play due to the Bermuda grain growing straight into you there) and makes PAR
3-UNDER

RICKIE: 3-wood down the middle. Nice approach to 18 feet. Lips out the birdie and makes PAR
5-UNDER


11) 555/506 par 5.

OBEE: Drive down the middle. Pull my 2nd a bit and am in the front left swale that guards the front of the green. I hit a good pitch but it lands into a little upslope and just doesn’t roll out to the back pin like I wanted, and I leave myself 12 feet for birdie, which I miss. PAR
EVEN


PHIL: Perfect drive over center-line bunker. Very nice hybrid that goes just long. Bunker shot rolls past pin and just off the green. Almost chips in with his hooded, behind-his-back-foot LW(60? 64?) from just off the green. PAR
3-UNDER

RICKIE: Perfect, long drive. Long club of some sort onto the green to about 30 feet. 2-putts for BIRDIE
6-UNDER


12) 203/169 par 3. Into a slight wind and uphill with deep bunkers short/right. There’s now about a dozen or so member following us.

OBEE: I see the people on the hill over-looking the 12th green, and I think: “This is SO COOL!” In the past, I would have gotten nervous and hit a bad shot. But … NOT TODAY!!! I pull out my trusty 6-hybrid and hit a little cutter in there to about 5 feet and everyone applauds. Woohoo!!! I then make the BIRDIE to go
1-UNDER

PHIL: Phil hits a nice 5-iron to 20 feet and says: “I got a feeling about this one….” but he lips out and makes PAR
3-UNDER

RICKIE: Hits it just left and long of the flag and 2-putts from 30 feet. PAR
6-UNDER


13) 353/328 par 4. Hazard left.

OBEE: 4-wood down the middle. Cut SW to an elevated green from 85 yards to 5 feet. Misread the putt and have to settle for PAR
1-UNDER

PHIL: Phil blocks his tee shot left into the hazard. He goes down in and hacks it out, risking injury due to a rock by his ball. Pitches onto the green in three and then two-putts for BOGEY
2-UNDER

RICKIE: Nice drive, but the pin is in the back portion of a very tough green. He misjudges his approach a bit and hits it just over the green. His chip is 5 feet short, and he powers his putt through the break and has to make a 5-footer to save bogey, which he does. BOGEY
5-UNDER


14) 543/492 par 5. Plays uphill quite a bit on the 2nd/3rd shot.

OBEE: Drive down the middle, 4-wood to short, right of the green. Pitch from 40 yards is a bit short and I don’t make my 15 footer for birdie. PAR
1-UNDER

PHIL: LONNNNNG drive down the middle. 250ish, playing 270 uphill and he takes out a 3-wood and tries to hit a cut in there, but he shuts the face down a bit and hits it left. The ball catches the cart path and bounces over the street and OB. He has a big indie with one of my buddies who made bogey, so he goes back, takes a drop, and hits another shot long and right into deep rough and decides to pick up. DOUBLE-BOGEY
EVEN

RICKIE: LONNNNG Drive. 3-wood from 245 (playing 265) to 18 feet in back fringe. Lips out the eagle try and makes BIRDIE
6-UNDER


15) 421/382 par 4. Uphill and into the wind.

OBEE: Hit a high, short, weak and right drive. I the fairway, but 170 away, uphill and into a the wind a bit. I fat my 6-hybrid a bit and leave it short and left and can’t get it up and down. BOGEY
EVEN

PHIL: Drive is pulled a bit into the right rough. Hits a beautiful, cut 8-iron to a foot and taps in for BIRDIE
1-UNDER

RICKIE: Drive down the middle. Blocks his approach a bit and ends up in the deep right bunker. Hits it to 8 feet and makes BOGEY 5-UNDER


16) 214/156 par 3. Significantly downhill. Pin is on top of a knoll that is just ridiculously hard to stop the ball on. Almost a silly pin.

OBEE: I hit a perfect cut 8-iron just barely left of the pin. It catches the swale and heads into the middle of the green. I have about 15 feet straight up a steep hill and onto a small flat portion of the green.

Phil looks at me and says: “Fifty Dollar makes?” (Our balls are nearly side-by-side), and I say, “No,” thinking he means he bets me $50 that I won’t make it. Can’t believe I said no. If you knew how much of a gambler I am, you wouldn’t believe it. Regardless, I step up and drain the putt for BIRDIE!!
1-UNDER

I find out at lunch afterwards that he meant it to be a $50 “make bet.” If either of us makes, it’s $50. So dumb on my part!!

PHIL: 5-iron(?) ends up a foot from my ball. Phil 2-putts. PAR
1-UNDER

RICKIE: 5-iron(?) just behind and left of the flat about 20 feet. 2 putts for PAR
5-UNDER


17) 439/391 par 4. Slight dog-leg left hole with trees left and well bunkered on the right. Tough driving hole.

OBEE: Decent drive, but short. I hit my approach into a greenside bunker and can’t get up and down. BOGEY
EVEN

PHIL: Kind of a yanked drive by Phil. Has a tough lie in the rough with mud on his ball. Hits a GREAT shot and has 25 feet for birdie. He lips it out and settles for PAR
1-UNDER

RICKIE: Drive goes a bit left and down under some trees. He punches out by the green and then hits a nice chip to six feet. It’s a must-make in his bet with Phil, and he drains it for PAR
5-UNDER



18) 432/406 par 4. Bunkers left and right, but a wide fairway. Water fronts the entire green. Pin is cut just barely over the water on the left side. Toughest pin on the green.

OBEE: Drive it down the middle. 7-iron from 152 to 25 feet. 2 putts for PAR and an
EVEN PAR 72 for the day.

PHIL: Perfect drive. Wedge to 20 feet. 2 putts for PAR, and a
1-UNDER 71.

RICKIE: Perfect drive. Wedge to 15 feet. Hits his first putt a bit firm and runs it 4 feet past, but cans the comeback for a PAR, and a nice
5-UNDER 67.

So there you have it. What an amazing day. In our other match, my two buddies and I (all three of us are solid scratch or below players) lost 2 and 1 to Phil and Rickie. It was tough beating them the way they ham and egged it on the front. They were 8-under through 9 holes with 2 eagles!! LOL!!

We won three holes out of four holes, though (10, 12, 13), and that got us back in the match. Phil’s Birdie on 15 put them 3-up, then I birdied 16 to get us back to only 2-down and dormie, but we halved 17 to lose the match.

Playing with them is such an amazing thing. They are both no nonsense when they play. We were joking around some, but for the most part, it’s real golf. I had never met Phil, but have met Rickie several times. He’s just a great guy. On the quiet side when he plays golf, but always complimentary and fun to play with. Also always, always ready, willing, and able to sign and pose for fans. Complete class act.

Phil is … fantastic. He loves to talk golf. He’s always discussing new balls, or new clubs, or how a hole plays. He’s my kind of guy: a golf junkie. He’s also funny, intelligent, and well-read. He gives the needle and takes it too. He called me by name all day, and was just as pleasant and fun as could be.

Regarding their games: They are both long. Probably both in the 300 range all day, as tour stats would back up. Neither of them is quite DJ or Bubba, but they are both in the top 20-30 on tour in driving distance, if I’m not mistaken.

And they just hit the ball so, so well. They rarely miss the center of the club, and when you combine that with club head speed, well … it’s difficult to place a pin in a position where they can’t fire right at it. They are both amazing ball strikers.

Putting: Wow. Rickie is an amazing putter. His ball just looks like it’s going in every putt. Phil’s reads were a touch off due to not playing the course except for one other time, but they both roll the ball so purely. And short putts (inside 4 feet) are just automatic. I learn so much when I watch pros putt. Their routines are so rock-solid. Always helps me putt better to see them.

What. A. Day.

Much, much more to tell, but that should suffice for now. Until next time!

Finally, I just want to add that I am in debt to both Tom Pernice, Jr., and my buddy. They are really the two guys that make this happen. Thank you guys!!


 

[Peter Pallotta]

A terrific read!
Thanks for sharing that, David -- that was a lot of fun.
What a great day of golf for you!

[David Ober]

A couple of anecdotes:


I attended my first PGA tour event in 1970 - the Danny Thomas Memphis Classic.  Dad took me down to the range to watch.  I vividly recall a caddy emptying the shag bag that most professionals used at that time and pacing off 100 yards or so down the range carrying something brown along with the shag bag.  Turned out it was a first baseman's mitt that he used to catch the player's wedge shots, rarely moving more than a pace of two.  I don't recall the player's name - he was a journeyman. 


A year or so later Dad took me to Memphis to Bert Dargie's legendary golf shop to purchase a set of irons.  After agonizing over which set to buy - I settled on the beautiful Haig Ultra's, the impatient professional basically told me:  "look, if you're any good you can play with a broomstick." 


I remain surprised by the extent to which many underestimate the ability of today's professional golfer.

I bought a set of used Haig Ultras in the early 90's. Loved them! I think they had aluminum(?) shafts?

[David Ober]

A terrific read!
Thanks for sharing that, David -- that was a lot of fun.
What a great day of golf for you!

Thanks, Peter. It was, indeed. :-)

[Adam Lawrence]

I've said this before, but the invention of the gutty was possibly the most important development in the history of golf. Before the gutty, golf was a curiosity, a game played in a small number of towns in the east of Scotland. The gutty made golf cheaper and way, way more attractive, and prompted the first golf boom. Without it we would not have the global game we see today.

Adam,

The gutty dates from 1848 while the first real golf boom as you put it was the 1880's and 1890's so clearly the gutty didn't kick start that or the boom would have happened earlier. The boom of the 1880's and 1890's happened for a lot of reasons that were mainly social-economic related. I tend to think if the gutty hadn't have been around then it would either have been invented or a way would have been found to make the feathery more durable and be made in a mass produced fashion.

Also the assertion that many historians make that golf was only played in a few towns on the east coast simply isn't in line with the evidence.

Niall

The gutty was _invented_ in 1848. It didn't become commonplace until significantly later -- around 1860.  Which coincidentally is just before the initial expansion of golf into England. And also, obviously, the foundation of the Open.