The saying that you cannot teach an old dog new tricks is simply not true. If we are openminded and focused on what is happening in the present, our golf game can improve through focused observation. This was the case yesterday when I played a round with my hickory sticks. It was the first time this year I used these beauties outside of a Golf Historical Society of Canada (GHSC) sponsored hickory event. It was great fun and learned many lessons about my game.

I played my round at the Mattawa Golf and Ski Resort. This 9-hole course is 10 minutes away from my home and the convenience makes it a perfect place to be a member. I played off the whites, 5600 yards, which is right at the maximum distance for my current hickory stick game. I did not use any electronic measuring devices and walked as I carried my clubs. It was a great round and I think I played very well.

During my round I shot: 1 birdie, 5 bogies 1 triple, 2 doubles, and 9 pars. I only hit the green thee times in regulation which equates to 7 up and down saves for par.

My favourite club was in the image to the left. This equates to about a 7 iron and I am comfortable to hit it from 150 yards.

My worst feeling and hitting club was my 3 wood. I have not mastered (or even come close to hitting it well) this club, yet. But, I will not give up. My putting was slightly under par, but very acceptable.

As I played my round, I noticed a few things about using hickory sticks that will equate into my use of modern clubs. The first is to swing easy. Swinging at 80% of full speed works best for most of the clubs. There is fine line of swinging too easy, where the club will not perform to its optimum and I push the ball right most of the time; so finding the correct swing speed is critical to great ball contact. Swinging easier with hickory sticks is a must.

My angle of attack needs to shallow out a bit more. With modern clubs, I can be slightly more aggressive when hitting the ball. With hickory sticks, I need to take a shallower approach, but still hit the ball first followed by a thin divot. These clubs have sharp edges and act like a shovel if I am too aggressive. Therefore, a slightly different swing angle with my vintage clubs is a must.

The ball rolls farther to gain the distance I want off each club. I reasonably hit the ball to a good distance most of the day. I had a shot at the green in regulation 75% of the time, so distance was not the issue. What I did notice is that I did not hit the ball high and as such received a great deal of roll out with every long shot. Many times the tall finished farther than I thought resulting in an easier next shot. When I played with Lorne Emery, President of the GHSC) I often wondered why he was sneaky long. Now I know. Watch out Lorne during our next match.

Lastly, I was not able to put any spin on the ball on approach shots or chipping. The club composition and lack of grooves forced me to play many shots short of my intended landing area in order to accounted for the roll out of my ball. On approach shots, three balls hit the green, but release off the back. They were great shots, but with the lack of spin and drier conditions, there was zero chance of holding the green. Regardless, I was able to quickly adjust my game and as you can see, I was able to chip very well to produce 7 up and down par saves.

My shot of the day was on the 9th hole. My second shot was from 155 yards in the middle of the fairway. Used my favourite club (mashie image above) and hit the ball 6 inches short for a tap in birdie. The ball was directly inline with the pin and an eagle was definitely possible. What a great way to finish my round.

Shooting 11 over, 85, for my first time playing Mattawa with my hickory sticks was very acceptable. It was a round where I could have shot much higher except for my short game. I am not sure I could have shot any lower, but the next time I go out I will give it a whirl.

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!