"All you need is one good shot with these clubs and you're hooked."

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Rodney Page of the Tampa Bay Times reports on the National U.S. Pro Hickory Golf Championship.

The only professional hickory tournament was played at Temple Terrace Golf and Country Club last week.

"It appeals to a person with an historical sense of the game," said Mike Stevens, tournament director and head professional at MacDill Golf Course in Tampa. "It's how the game was originally played in this country, with wooden shafts and on older golf courses."

Paolo Quirici, a 45-year-old club professional and former PGA Europe player from Lugano, Switzerland, shot the low round of the day, 2-over-par 74. He beat out Richard Bullock and John McCann by one shot.

Quirici has been playing with the hickory clubs since September. He is in Florida for the PGA Merchandise show in Orlando and found out about the tournament through an Internet search.

The search paid off when he won the $1,500 first prize. The tournament had a $5,000 purse, the same amount offered at the 1925 Florida Open played at Temple Terrace.

A video feature accompanied the story as well:

Great Places In The Game: 4th At Musselburgh And Mrs. Forman's

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This summer I had the privilege of playing a round with hickories at Musselburgh Links, recognized as the oldest course in the world by Guiness. The first documented play was in 1672, though its believed Mary, Queen of Scots whapped something resembling a ball around here in 1567.

I chose to focus in on the fourth hole for now because it's a sensational par-4 that incorporates the surrounding racetrack. There is also the hole's ties to Mrs. Forman's restaurant behind the green. Through the hatch in the wall where she sold refreshments to golfers is now a window, the charming restaurant and pub pays homage to its predecessor with numerous wall photos of the old days along with excellent food. And of course, they still serve golfers on the back patio.

Musselburgh and its race course, to be featured in a separate video and included in a story next July for Golf Digest's Open Championship preview, are must stops for any golfers making the pilgrimmage to East Lothian.

The YouTube video, which I recommend watching at the enlarged size for full effect compared to the embedded version below.

"Going 'old school' will give you a whole new appreciation for the greatest game we know."

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Here's a nice Saturday morning read from John Kim at PGA.com who played hickories for the first tie as part of Ansley Golf Club's 100th anniversary celebration, with Stirling Hickory Golf providing the clubs.

And as a student of golf history, to play with those clubs was not only a great education in golf equipment and the advantages of today's technology - but it enhanced my appreciation of the skill and talent that the greats of yesterday possessed.  Nothing against Tiger, Rory or even Jack and Arnie - I don't see how they could put up the numbers that Bobby Jones and company could put up using the same set of equipment. 
 
At the end of the day, it was like any other golf outing. Food and drinks were enjoyed, stories were shared about putts that should have gone in and promises were made to get together again soon.  But every golfer walked away with a little more passion and love for the game. If you're looking for a different perspective and a great way to love golf even more - going "old school" will give you a whole new appreciation for the greatest game we know. 

The World Hickory Open Was This Week...

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I'm a bit horrified to have acknowledged this cash grab in Turkey when soulful golfers were teeing it up in the World Hickory Open. The event was Monday and Tuesday at Monifeith and Carnoustie Burnside, reports the Scotsman.

The World Hickory Open Championship was established in 2004 and played at Musselburgh Golf Course, the oldest surviving playing surface in the world, according to the Guinness Book of Records.

Hickory clubs are available on the day, which is primarily to encourage parties of all abilities to participate.

According to regular hickory golfers, one of the main attractions of using hickory clubs is being able to ‘feel’ every shot - and also allowing classic golf courses to be played as intended.

A BBC preview story featured this:

This year's event has attracted about 100 players from more than 30 countries.

Competitors are limited to clubs made before, or made to replicate those manufactured before, 1935.

The World Hickory Open Championship was first held in 2005 and has become popular across Europe and the United States.

The event's chairman, Lionel Freedman, said: "It is a lot to do with the fact that the game has changed out of all recognition in the last few years and there are people who enjoy the challenge of playing with clubs that were made after the Great War.

"It brings back into play the courses that are far too short for the modern club and ball."

The official website didn't have scores but it did have this fantastic featurette with the sweet-swinging Perry Summers and Randy Jensen talking about the joys of hickory golf, a famous challenge match between Old Tom Morris and Willie Park, and showing off the magnificent Musselburgh.

R.I.P. Ralph Livingston

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James Davis on The Society of Hickory Golfers website pens a lovely remembrance of this photographer, collector, craftsman, author and passionate golfer who died August 18th of a brain tumor. He was 54.

Ran Morrissett interviewed Ralph in 2004 and it includes talk of Bobby Jones, hickory golf and all sorts of other great informatiom.

There is a GolfClubAtlas.com thread saluting Ralph.

Ralph's HickoryGolfer.com website is up and a fantastic resource for anyone interested in playing hickory golf or collecting hickories.

"The most refreshing thing was that for a change he could actually see his ball land in the fairway."

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Tom Dunne's excellent case for a shorter ball and downsized game was inspired in large part by a visit to Kingarrock, an experience he says "felt straight out of an episode of Downton Abbey." He makes a couple of key points for those who react in horror at the thought of hitting shorter drives on shorter courses...

After playing a few holes, I looked at a 300-yard par-four in exactly the same way I would a 400-yarder using all modern stuff. And on the one occasion that I outdrove my playing partner, I felt exactly the same way I would have otherwise.

And this point interested me because I was absolutely smitten with the noticeably shorter time between teeing off and reaching your drive, an element that dramatically improves the flow of a round.

Since my visit to Scotland, I've kept in touch with David Anderson, Kingarrock's proprietor. He told me a great story a couple of months ago. A South African touring pro (not one of the household names) visited and played hickory over the summer. After his round Anderson asked him if he'd enjoyed himself. The pro said yes, adding that the most refreshing thing was that for a change he could actually see his ball land in the fairway. That's the game they play. And we could play it, too, under Solheim's three-ball solution.

Here's my video diary from a day at Kingarrock: