[Thomas Dai]

Those hickory players amongst us often post their involvement in this aspect of the game herein, but the posts tend to be on various different posts and on various different topics.

Whilst appreciating that some of us are already members of SOHG or the GCS etc, I thought that if all of us hickory players posted our names against this thread it would give us a useful listing of GCA hickory players so we can share information etc (either offline or by PM so we don't clutter us the Discussion Board).

Now if someone has beaten me to this idea and there's already such a listing please advise where I can find it!

All the best

Clubs, no replica's, all were originally made circa 1900-1920 -

Driver (looking for a Brassie0
Lofted Spoon
Driving iron
Long iron
Deep faced Mashie
Mashie-niblick
Niblick
Looking for lofted niblick with flange for bunker play
Mills Ray model putter
Ball - Srixon Soft Feel - would like to try replica of period ball but as yet can't source any at an appropriate price point.

[Ari Techner]

Hello, my name is Ari and I am a Hickoryaholic....

[Chris_Hufnagel]

Thomas, I am relatively new to hickories, but am quickly falling in love with it...

I was lucky enough to be introduced to hickory golf by the late Ralph Livingston III - for those that had the privilege of meeting him, you know what a tremendous ambassador he was for golf and especially hickory golf.

I don't really do New Year's resolutions, but I am committed to playing more hickory golf next year...

[Mac Plumart]

Mac Plumart
I play hickory.

[Matt Bielawa]

Only played with Hickories once when my club hosted its first Hickory Stick Open this past summer.  It was loads of fun.  Only had 6 clubs each and an old-style golf ball and it was a blast.  Looking forward to doing it again.

[Steve Lapper]

Mike Policano is my enabler.

[Terry Lavin]

I use hickory chips in my smoker.

[C. Sturges]

Hello, my name is chris and I am now a hickory player.  I dislike you Ari for getting me collecting more clubs than I all ready have!
thanks,
chris

[Andrew Lewis]

Great idea, Thomas!

I have played hickory golf for a few years and am always happy to connect with GCA'ers for hickory games in Chicago and northern Michigan.

Cheers, Andrew

PS to Terry Lavin -- I believe it!

[JimB]

One round with Mike Policano....

[Steve Lapper]

One round with Mike Policano....

Jim,

Isn't that enough??
 

[Brian Finn]

I am currently assembling my hickory set, and intend to play often beginning next season. 

I can credit many from this site (Kevin Lynch, Mac, and the Kingsley hickory mafia) for exposing me to hickory golf. 

[Kevin Lynch]

I am currently assembling my hickory set, and intend to play often beginning next season. 

I can credit many from this site (Kevin Lynch, Mac, and the Kingsley hickory mafia) for exposing me to hickory golf. 

I am currently assembling my hickory set, and intend to play often beginning next season. 

I can credit many from this site (Kevin Lynch, Mac, and the Kingsley hickory mafia) for exposing me to hickory golf. 

Brian -

Glad to hear that you're taking the plunge.  I suppose watching hickory rounds as Southern Pines & Dormie and then having a visit from Ran, we kind of hazed you pretty hard.  With your natural swing, I doubt you'll have any problem assimilating.  

I have been playing hickories for 2 years, and usually have access to an extra set for anyone who wants to give it a try. 

[Ken Fry]

Played a quick round at Oakhurst many years ago.  Loved the experience but never took the plunge.

Played in a hickory event at Notre Dame this past summer.  Joined the Society of Hickory Golfers not long after.

I need to find cheaper hobbies.

Ken

[Carson Pilcher]

My name is Carson, and I play hickory.  

[Steve Wilson]

My name is Steve and I want to confirm that it is true--hickory players always have wood.

[David Harshbarger]

My name is Dave Harshbarger and I play hickories, (along side my Callaways, TaylorMades, and Wilsons.)

My 14 clubs usually include 2 hickories, putter & jigger.  My 8 hickories though aren't a set I play with well.  Someday it'll get filled in with clubs I have confidence swinging.  

Bonus: my kids play hickories (and pyratone and persimmon and titanium) too :-)

[Ken Moum]

Ken Moum, put a hickory set together several years ago. Set a goal of breaking 80 with them. Did it the first year, now I can't do it with my modern clubs.

Don't play a lot with them, did have the nerve to take them as my only set on a vacation to Arizona.

Mostly its too soft here in Kansas to play them effectively.

K

[Will Peterson]

I have put together a set of hickories this year, and use them 2-3 times a month.  It has been a blast.

[Josh Smith]

I got a set rambled together for me and have played a few holes twice.  Sadly, in each round I snapped a club.  Hope this trend doesn't continue.  Want to play more of it.  The best shot I have hit with a hickory resulted in the clubhead flying off.  A lasting memory though.

Josh

[Ken Moum]

I got a set rambled together for me and have played a few holes twice.  Sadly, in each round I snapped a club.  Hope this trend doesn't continue.  Want to play more of it.  The best shot I have hit with a hickory resulted in the clubhead flying off.  A lasting memory though.

Josh

I've broken a few, but only with Topflites or range balls. Cost me favorite brassie.

With ProV1s or the like I've never had one break.

K

[Ari Techner]

I got a set rambled together for me and have played a few holes twice.  Sadly, in each round I snapped a club.  Hope this trend doesn't continue.  Want to play more of it.  The best shot I have hit with a hickory resulted in the clubhead flying off.  A lasting memory though.

Josh

Balls are important.   Use something soft and don't hit many range balls with them.   However I think having a quality newish shaft is more important in avoiding breakage than anything.  All my gamers I have had refurbished and reshafted with new shafts and I have never broken a club in my years of playing hickory.  

[Josh Smith]

For the record I was using a Tour Balata.  I think it had more to do with the shafts being a bit brittle.  Which is a bummer.

[Chris_Hufnagel]

I got a set rambled together for me and have played a few holes twice.  Sadly, in each round I snapped a club.  Hope this trend doesn't continue.  Want to play more of it.  The best shot I have hit with a hickory resulted in the clubhead flying off.  A lasting memory though.

Josh

Balls are important.   Use something soft and don't hit many range balls with them.   However I think having a quality newish shaft is more important in avoiding breakage than anything.  All my gamers I have had refurbished and reshafted with new shafts and I have never broken a club in my years of playing hickory.  

In my limited experience, I would tend to agree with Ari on the shafts - some older shafts have lost some of their flex and become a little "brittle" - I am not sure if it has to do with losing some of the moisture content over the years, perhaps the protective shellac had worn off and it was't reapplied?  I broke three shafts this year, all of them either original or "old" replacements.  I also believe your swing (a digger vs. a sweeper) and how aggressive you "hit" the ball has a lot to do with it.  I am a digger no doubt and as a result I should probably learn to re-shaft hickories myself instead of sending them out to be fixed...

[Thomas Dai]

I'm really quite surprised how many folk have already acknowledged being hickory players. Really an eye opener. I'm sure there are more out there lurking as well. I love Ari's description of "Hickoryaholic...."!

As to equipment, it might be interesting to show a photo of your clubs against your original post. I will when I can access the computer where the photos are stored!

Balls - When I started with hickory I was warned against using range balls and hard spec play balls. I have tried the ProV1 (not V1x), Srixon Z-Star, Srixon AD333, Srixon Soft Feel and the Bridgestone RSX. I have found the last two to be the best for me and normally go with the Srixon Soft Feel, which has the added benefit of being relatively inexpensive. I also don't see much point in using a very high performance top end performance ball as you don't get much spin from heads attached to yee olde hickories - one big bounce, spin and check just doesn't happen with 100 year old punch 'dotted' clubfaces!

Clubs - Chris has a good point about breaking shafts when he mentions hitters/diggers vrs sweepers. I'm fortunate to be a sweeper so haven't broken any shafts (yet). I think I read on one the hickory websites that older shafts that have become dried out can be softened (a bit) with various fluid/oil treatments. I was also advised that whenever possible to store my clubs in a constantly cool temperature area (not centrally heated by not freezing either) and certainly not to keep them somewhere where the temperature varies between very hot or very cold. If you do store them in inappropriate conditions regularly or for prolonged periods of time it can apparently cause small fractures in the wood shafts, reduce the feel and lifetime of the leather grips also cause the heads to work loose.

For those of you who might be interested in playing in a UK Open Competition for hickory players, here is a weblink highlighting two such events, one at Westward Ho!-Royal North Devon in August, and one at Forfar/Panmure in Oct -

http://www.worldhickoryopen.com/World%20Hickory%20Championships%202014%20revised.pdf

All the best

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