Track or Tract

[Forrest Richardson]

There may be history of the term "track" to "track iron", an ancient club used to hit balls off carriageways and railroad tracks. Perhaps someone can fill us in on a track iron club and what it looked like, etc.

[Jim_Kennedy]

Forrest,

The rut or track iron was made from about 1850. It had a small head, about 2' long, that was slightly cupped. I think it was the first? club with an iron head.
The small lines at the top of the hosel were created by a hand process called "nicking" and were used to join the two components.

[Forrest Richardson]

So, we can draw our own conclusions about "track" possibly stemming from this unusual club. (?)

[Jim_Kennedy]

Forrest,
 As you said: ....So, we can draw our own conclusions about "track" possibly stemming from this unusual club. (?)

....or we can chalk it up to some backward hat wearing uninformed sportswriter who didn't know the difference between a track sport and a field sport.  

[Forrest Richardson]

I prefer the notion that a "track iron" was an inconvenience, and by chance someone took it to also mean the layout was a "track" of sorts -- not refined, you know.

[mike_beene]

The great now retired sportswriter Blackie Sherrod said the only sport more boring than track was field.

[Forrest Richardson]

Mike -- That is the ninth funniest thing I've ever read on GCA. Thanks!

[TEPaul]

Look at this thread--35 responses to this minutae. Don't you all have better things to do like discuss if Marion Hollins was heterosexual, bisexual or homosexual?

In the spirit of the dynamics of American linguistics I'll solve this "track" vs "tract" problem. Henceforth the correct word will be "tractk" (the alternate spelling can be "Tratch") and you have a choice of pronunciation someone akin to the word "nuclear".

[Joe Hancock]

And now we can pronounce the word "somewhat" to sound like the word "someone", according to TEPaul.

I'm relieved,

Joe