Split in Two
brinkley | June 6, 2011I have played enouch since I last wrote but I have written much so after tonight’s events I thought it would be good to get into the habit once again.
Yesterday I got out much later than I normally do for a round on Sunday. i don’t know if it’s been a lack of motivation or just too much work. Maybe it’s too much work causing a lack of motivation. Who knows but getting me out to the course has been tough. So at 5:00 I finally convinced myself to go play. When I got there the course was thinning out but there was this guy on the first tee. I whistled at him to have him hold until I could reach him and then went down to tee off from the forward tees.
I explained I’m playing my pre 1905 with a gutta perch replica. Struck a really nice drive down the pipeline, a route I would normally never take, that left me a nice 125 yards away from the hole. When we exchanged names I recognized him immediately as someone I had gone to church with for years but hadn’t seen in maybe a good 10 years. We talked about the 1905 and the gutta perch all around the course but on the 6h hole something strange happened.
As I smacked the ball on the 6th tee it either felt a little different or sounded a little different or both, and he noticed the flight pattern was really strange. He said that ball just went out in a really funny direction. Humm, that’s a problem with McIntyre-White ball but not this ball. Since it went the normal distance I didn’t think much about it.
On the next shot everything went to pieces, literally. It was a good swing, but the ball went about 2 feed before it split in two with the larger piece going about 75 yards and the smaller one about 50. Nuts!!!! This is the second ball I’ve split in two from this manufacture, but on the bright side I played about 10 rounds with this ball. At a $10 a ball I’d call that a pretty good deal.
My playing partner said hit the other one. Which I did, not as well as the first one it went into the trap a 100 yards from the hole. Hit a really nice punch shot out and 2 putted for par.
Wait a minute don’t you get penalized for splitting the golf ball. Well apparently the rules gods find that this particular rub of the green is unacceptable and you get to reply the shot.
After the round we went to my playing partners house to look at some old clubs. He’s got a really nice 1924 Achterlonie spoon of about 18-20 loft. Man I’d like to slide a new shaft in that puppy but that’s another story.
Oh and it looks like it’s good thing I placed an order for another 12 balls last Friday. They should be here next week, Hopefully before I go on another trip or split my last good ball in two, whichever comes first.
I think when a gutty is split in two, you can drop a new ball at the spot of the larger piece of the original ball. Not sure you get to replay the shot. Is this the Oakhurst typr ball? I have played a McIntyre gutta percha ball for about 10 rounds as well. It flies the same as the rubber replica gutty only feels more like the original. His ball may slightly go out of round or get cuts in it (also like original gutta percha balls), but it does not affect play; even after 10 rounds. Gutty golf is just the best, eh?
According to the modern rules you can replay the shot.
As for McIntyre ball I found that I can only play it about 4 shots before it’s no longer usable. Unless Chris has dramatically updated the ball since I last used it from the batch I received in September of 2010 it’s not my choice to play. You can’t wash it because the paint wears off. It goes out of round and cuts way too easily. So much so that you have to carry a second ball to putt with. It’s putting is erratic, even new. It produces erratic ball flight. For instance at the Canadian event in 2010 three us hit draws that curved under into a slice ala the screwball pitch in baseball. It’s sound is somewhat similar a gutta, or at least the $70 ball I have but the plastic, or plastic material is inadequate. It’s also lighter than my real gutta.
All in all I prefer the gutta perch from Glencal, Scotland. I think it’s the Oakhurst ball or similar to it. Yes it’s feels a little “rubbery”, but the flight is consistent, the putting is true, and I can kill birds as I wrote about in A Very Strange Evening with a Gutta Perch. And most importantly I’ll probably loose it before it’s unusable.
I definitely have to disagree with the fact the Oakhurst ball flies more consistent. I have hit way too many with the ball that start as a slice and then draw back, or the other way around. It also can dive out of mid flight on a well struck shot. Also, not sure if you have played Oakhurst but that rubber ball is awful on short shots and chipping. I will agree that it does putt true. I have a Mac ball from one of his first batches (at least I think when semi new. Played it at Region 9 event in 2009) and I am still playing it. It has about 4 or 5 small cuts in it, is not totally round (it was slightly out of shape after first 9 holes with it). It still hits straight drives and putts fine. The Oakhurst ball is also not true in size. I have not found a Mac ball that is unusable yet, though I have split 2 Oakhurst balls.
On the lighter side, which hickory tournaments are you playing in this year?
Then I would have to say that the Glencall ball is not an Oakhurst ball. Remember I said I believe it was the Oakhurst ball but I could be wrong. If it’s the same ball then I would be amazed at the flight characteristics that you describe as they don’t correspond to anything I’ve ever had happen with the Glencall ball. I’ve played close to 100 rounds with the Glencall ball (not one ball of course) and found the flight to be true, the control around the greens on short shots and chipping to be very good. In fact I perfectly hit a smooth faced rut wedge 75 yards and the ball hit 2 yards in front of the pin and immediately skidded to a stop about 2 feet behind the pin. It doesn’t fly as far when my strike is off center but neither does it dive out of sight on a well hit shot.
It’s funny because the characteristics you describe of the Oakhurst ball is the way I would describe the McIntyre ball. Don’t get me wrong, I like Chris a lot and he’s contributed significantly to hickory golf, I just don’t like the gutta percha replica he produces. For me the flight is totally inconsistent. The ball doesn’t produce enough spin so you get very erratic flight patterns. Around the green there is no such thing as control. From any reasonable distance out your only shot is a bump and run (or a run up) shot unless your fortunate to be in a bunker and have some sand to create some spin. And I’ve lost more than one McIntyre ball hit over water that dived in on a perfectly good shot.
As for the specific regulatory aspects of the ball consider the following table
Ball………Size…..Weight(grams)
1905 Gutta…1.655….39.3
Glencall…..1.60…..41.1
McIntyre…..1.665….37.6
Titlist……1.635….42
Zip……….1.67…..45
Now I’m willing to admit that my micrometer could be off a bit as none of the balls listed are in conformance with the modern rulles of greater than 1.68″ and less 45.93 grams. Secondly, since there were no rules before 1921 the balls could be just about anything. I know the Glencall ball is made from a actual mold from that time period. I think that Chris does this same with his balls (at least that’s what I’ve heard). Given that I’m not sure how you can say it isn’t true in size. There were all kinds of sizes until the balls were standardized. As for weight, there is a major difference between the two. Probably one reason the McIntyre flys so erratically for me.
In the end the McIntyre is not a ball that I can trust, though you seem to have plenty of trust in it. What I’d like to see if pre 1905 tournaments give participants the choice of what ever gutta percha replica they want to play as long as the ball is indeed reduced flight. Preapprove the 2 or 3 that are on the market. Provide one for a tournament, but give people a choice.