Watching the US Open at Oakmont Country Club has been an eye opener. The course looks to be in fantastic shape with the 5 1/2 inch rough, undulating greens, and the deep sand traps. As I sit and watch the top golfers navigate the course, I cannot stop and wonder how I would do at Oakmont this weekend. Looking at the some of the crazy lies the professionals hit out of, I am thinking that if I broke 120, life would be good. I definitely could not play from the tips as I do not have the game for that type of distance. However, watching the professionals grind their way around Oakmont, three things come to mind that all amateurs should learn.
Continue readingPlus Fours, Hogan Hats and 100 Year Old Hickory Golf Clubs Rule The Weekend
The 2025 Ottawa Hickory Golf Challenge, 6 – 8 June, has come and gone. This event, organized by Chris Hawes, raised money for a worthy charity and expanding the fun of hickory stick golf. Chris started this event last year and it was a huge success. Chris is running this must attend hickory event again this year and already the numbers of participants has grown. Here is the results of this fun hickory stick event.
Continue readingPlaying A Great Round Of Golf With Friends
Golf is great sport that provides the opportunity for friends to enjoy spend time together. This is nothing new about this statement and yesterday at Osprey Links Golf Course, my golfing experience reinforced why golf is a great social contact sport. Playing a round with my friends Mike, Blair and Fernando was fun right from the first tee shot. Mike and I play a few times a year (or at least we try) and it is always fun playing our money game. It is not really for the money that we play, but the bragging rights of who comes out as the eventual winner. Blair and Fernando are guys I play with regularly and always enjoy their company whenever we tee it up. So, what made yesterday so special? Well, a couple of things.
Continue readingMy Hickory Stick Round Went As Expected
Yesterday I played a round of hickory stick golf with my friend Charlie. We scooted around the 18 holes in around 3 hours. Playing from the shorter distances and using a cart sure helps to play a quick round. During my round, I had 3 birdies, six pars, seven bogeys and two doubles for a score of 82 on the par 74 course at Mattawa Golf and Ski Resort. There were a few highlights and a few not so pretty shots. So, my round went as expected. I did, however, find out something that I need to focus upon moving forward. This small tidbit is prevalent when using my modern clubs as well. Go figure!
Continue readingIt Is Hickory Stick Time!
Today I am playing a round of golf with my hickory sticks. I used them a few times this spring and I am excited to use them again. Playing with clubs built in the early 1900s is a fun challenge that adds a great deal of excitement to every shot. We play from a shorter distances, Red Tees at Mattawa Golf and Ski Resort – 5140 yards) to even out my ability of not hitting these historical clubs very far. The interesting thing about playing hickory sticks is the quality of hits and the requirement to focus on solid ball contact. Any lapse in concentration and the ball does not fly well at all. That is only the start of the fun!
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The Grateful Golfer 