The Hickory Golfer

I’ve just returned from the Mid-Pines Hickory Open at the Mid-Pines Inn and Golf in Southern Pines, North Carolina after one disappointing opening round followed by a what should have been a much better second round. Having arrived home at the glorious time of 2:00 am I decided that Monday was not a great day to start playing golf again. Besides I had more important things to do like repair my Tom Stewart Mongrel Mashie that developed a split shaft sometime in the middle of that first round. UGH!!!

So, Tuesday morning I finally got motivated to fix that shaft and by the afternoon I was anxious to go out and play (without the Mongrel). Afterall, is there anything better to do after you visited the dentist for a teeth cleaning? A quick lunch with my wife at her place of work and I was off to the course for an afternoon round with the temp hovering around the mid 50s. What happened over the next 3 hours was simply the most delightful round I have played yet with my hickory clubs.

With almost 5 days of pure practice in North Carolina and 2 weeks prior of fussing with the clubs doing MOI matching, and making sure every grip was .830 six inches down I was ready to play at home where I could depend on distances being consistent and known. At a little past 1:30 I started my best round of hickory golf every.

I started hot from the very beginning on the very tough 1st hole at Pine Creek Golf Club. This is a nasty little hole that produces more bogeys, doubles, and triples than you can imagine. The tee shot has to clear a ravine at 175 yards out but stop before it gets 215 yards followed by another ravine carry to the green. When there is wind it can come from anywhere making your life most difficult. Over time I’ve found the driving iron the best choice and today was no different. I ended up 145 yards left and hit a smooth mashie to within 3 feet of the pin and drained the putt. Honestly I haven’t birdied this hole all year. -1 after the first hole.

Hole 2 is 393 yard downhill that can be treacherous if you don’t hit it straight but from 370 yards today that wasn’t a problem. The drive was straight and long leaving a simple 55 degree niblick 90 yards to the pin and 12 feet away. A good putt that didn’t break until after the hole and I was still -1 after 2.

When I got to par 5 third I was confident with my driver given the prior hole’s results. Off it goes and I’m 275 yards away. Too far to reach with the second shot but if I hit my Jack White brassie down the left side it should pop off the hill and give me a short pitch shot the pin sitting in the front. Everything goes off as planned, though the wild kick to the right was a little scary, and I’m sitting about 30 yards from the pin. Out comes my 60 degree niblick (yeah a Tom Stewart with 60 degrees and 5 degrees of bounce and envy of some at Mid-Pines) to within 3 feet. Up and in and I’m -2  after 3 holes. Yikes, I’m actually 2 under after 3 holes and this isn’t even a dream

When I get to the 4th I start thinking nuts, my mongrel mashie is back home. Fortunately, the pin is in the back so the 26 degree 3 iron works just great to the middle of the green. My putt runs buy 5 feet, ARGH what am I thinking, but the return is dead straight…still -2 after 4.

Walking up to hole 5 I’ve already decided to hit the driver that has to carry 216 yards to clear the trash if the tees are at the second tee box. They are so I take aim over the cotton woods. It’s not a good hit but it clears the trees and the trash is sitting 90 yards way. Another 55 degree niblick and I figure I’ll be putting for birdie again. But I hit an inch fat and it only goes 70 yards. First GIR missed but I’m up and down for a 4 with a chip to within 3 feet and good putt. -2 after 5.

Thoughts of grandeur start popping into my head and I think how cool it would be to hit the driver on 5 but I quickly snuff that idea out and hit a driving iron about 220 up the left side of the fairway. It’s a just on the edge of fairway and a really good lie that I could hit my brassie from. I’ve had problems with this shot all summer as the ball is actually below my feet. I had asked the pro about how to handle this and he suggested planting the heels firmly for balance. It felt weird because I still wasn’t to the ball but the shot came off perfectly leaving me 80 yards on the par 5. Simple right. No! I couldn’t find the club to hit and ended up on the false front. A less than spectacular chip and I was a good 10 feet out putting for a par that just wasn’t going to go near the hole. Back to -1.

Hole 7 is delightful par 3 over the water surrounded by sand traps. Today it was playing 165 which is too long for my #5 mashie and just about right for the mongrel mashie which I don’t have. Ugh…hit the #5 mashie and try not to push it too much, but alas no I push to hard, hit it fat and it goes 20 yards short of the green. Out comes the 60 degree niblick and I hit the best chip I’ve hit in a long time. Crisp, clean, the little ball before the big ball to within 6 inches. Piece of cake -1 after 7.

Now the 8th can really eat my lunch most days. It’s an uphill dog leg that I rarely par, I feel good to get a bogey most of the time and I’ve had a 10 once in competition (don’t ask it was a series of unfortunate events). Hitting from the flex tees I’m focused on a pillar in the throat of the dogleg. But I pull it more than a tad. It clears the second sand trap which is a relief and I can see it bounding along the top of the hill (aka weeds). In the summer it would have stayed in the weeds but today it bounded through and left me 98 yards from the pin. The 49 degree niblick left me a 10 foot putt that lipped out for a par. Still -1 after 8.

I’m juiced now. I can shoot under par on the front nine. I think my best this year has been a 39 or 40. The drive is straight and true but I expected it to be longer. It’s a tough 90 yard carry over the bunker, uphill with some head wind. I don’t think the 49 niblick is going to cut it unless I push it so I decide the mashie niblic would easily clear the bunker but club’s distance is a tad long. Choking down a half an inch it still hits the back of the green and climbs up the hill about 3 yards. A difficult down hill chip that runs 5 feet by the hole but is dead straight back uphill for a 4. -1 after nine.

Nine holes down in a -1 35. Two birdies, one bogey and the rest pars. Hit 5 of 9 greens and 5 of 7 fairways with and only missed one of the 5 greenside saves (I counted that birdie on 3 as a green side save as I got up and down). Man I hope I can keep this up. I stop into the club house all jacked up over the round for the bathroom break and drink of water since there isn’t any water on the course this time of year. Told the pro what had happened and headed back out.

When I get up to the 10th the guy that was playing behind me was already on the tee box. Dang I have to share the course with this guy is my first though. “Want to play the last nine with me?” Ah well….uh…no, “Sure”. Come on what else are you going to say. My drive slides off to the right and I’m 138 yards from a front edge pin on the dogleg left 10th.  I pull out the mashie niblic with wind slightly behind me and I land short of the downward sloping pin with about 5 feet left. Man am I’m hitting the ball well today. The putt just hangs on the right side of the cup is only 6 inches past so it hits the Pelz doughnut and spins away from the whole. Ugh….I missed opportunity but a par none the less. -1 after 10.

Hole 11 is great par 5 that is reachable in 2 if the winds behind you and the first shot is good. The drive is spectacular and I have 180 to the green. It’s uphill and in light rough so I’m counting on a flyer. “Just hit it straight” is my mantra which seems to work but the 3 iron catches the false front and is 2 yards off the deep green. I pull out the putter when I get there and stroke a wonderful 30 foot lag putt to within 6 inches for an easy birdie. -2 after 11. I start thinking I’m going to bring this in under par.

That was a mistake. The next drive is a popup down the left side of the right dogleg 12th. It’s in front of the trap and 175 yards away requiring a carry over a green side trap. Nuts, once again the mongrel is at home. I pull out the three and choke up a bit. I’m aiming for the edge of the trap and hoping to just roll it up. But I hit flush (what is wrong with me today I’m like mister perfect from the fairway) and it hits the downside of the trap on the green and shoots to the back. The chip is ok but doesn’t break leaving a 5 footer that should break to the left but doesn’t and I’m back to -1 after 12. Keep in the present I tell myself.

The par 5 13th isn’t reachable in two even with modern clubs (well maybe 1 out of 10) so I just need two good shots and a I’ll be home, but the drive is weak and fades. The brassie is sky high and I’m 135 yards from a back pin on a deep green on a uphill slope in rough grass. I hope for a flyer with the mashie niblic but don’t get it but I’m on the green. The 20 foot putt should break to the left and leaves a scary 3 footer which drops in keeping me at -1 after 13.

14 is an easy par 3 when it’s on the left hand side tee box like it is today. No carry over trash. The pin is in the front so I hit a 40 degree mashie. I though it was a mishit but it landed perfectly on the green. The putt that should of fallen down the hill stayed up but a par never hurts you and I’m -1 after 14.

15 can be my Waterloo and today I tried really hard to make it that way. Instead of hitting the fairway I faded, no it was slice, into the the trash. Luckly the lie was good and I was only 90 yards away. I thought about laying up like I did all summer but hey I’m under par. I used the 49 degree niblick and hit greenside about 10 feet from the pin. Out comes the 60 niblick and I’m within 10 inches for a par. Who says this game is hard.

On 16 I normally use my driving iron but today I decided to hit my new Alex Prior, Old Elm, Jack White Spoon with 20 degrees of loft. I should have used the driving iron because the ball just faded into the rough. The pins is up front and the front of the green 153 yards away and downhill which is good because, repeat after me, the mongrel mashie is at home. I move the ball back in my stance just a half a ball and hit a nice mashie 2 foot onto the green and about 10 feet from the pin. It great putt running straight for the hole but it slows down as it reaches the hole and slides to the right for a par tap in. Sigh!!!! -1 after 16.

It’s a windless day on 17 so I can use the mashie even though the downhill 155 yard shot normally calls for the mongrel. Another great shot and I’m no more than 7 feet from a very make able birdie putt. I know the stupid thing has to break left so I play the top right edge but it doesn’t move much and the ball is just a bit hard. It does a 270 and comes back out. Ugh again. -1 after 17.

With all the lipouts and almost putts I’m sure I’m not going to be under par for the round because 18 can really eat your lunch. It’s the number 2 handicap hole on the course and deserves it even though it’s a paltry 398 yards.   I decide to hit an easy driver to the 150 and to my relief it goes where I want it to. I can’t tell you how hard it is to not turn the club over on this hole and end up in the trees. I’m now a 145 yards out. Problem is my yardage say 145 but the GPS system in the cart says 135. I going with mine and hit the 40 degree mashie one last time. When it leaves the club head I know I’ve hit it well and expect something like a  10 foot putt. It’s now close to 4:30 and the sun is getting pretty low so I don’t see the bounce and roll to within 6 inches of the cup. When I get up there I’m all smiles. I think I can make this one for a -2, 70 shot round.

Best round I have ever had playing hickory shafted clubs. 344 346 344 for a 35 out 445 534 433 in for a 35 and 70 total. Only 7 of 14 fairways hit but 12 of 18 greens with 28 putts and 6 out of 8 saves, 4 birdies, 2 bogeys and the rest par….What a day.

Especially gratifying following the 91-81 I shot at Mid-Pines Hickory Open. I know tournament golf is different but I finally broke through playing hickory clubs and I’ll take a 21 shot turnaround in three days anytime.