EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (AP) - They admit being addicted to golf.
Now that enthusiasm has branched off into use of hickory-shafted clubs and attire that goes along with the early history of the game, the Leader-Telegram (https://bit.ly/2mRMqik ) reported.
Howie Nelsen, Dan Norstedt, Dave Morley and Paul Savides are taking their hickory club fascination to a new level with the inaugural Lake Hallie Hickory Classic tournament June 3 at Lake Hallie Golf Course.
Norstedt got involved with using hickory-shafted clubs about five years ago, and his passion eventually rubbed off on his friends.
“I kind of wondered what it would be like to play Hallie, an older course, with the kind of clubs that people first started playing with,” Norstedt said. “I got online and did some research and found a society of hickory golfers.”
He found a Wisconsin group, met up with some hickory golfers, played a round with some borrowed clubs near Sheboygan and was hooked.
“I really liked it and bought clubs that day,” said Norstedt, who has played in a national hickory tournament and overseas. “I still use 30 percent of what I bought that day.”
“These guys knew that I played and we have coffee on Fridays,” Norstedt said, looking at Nelsen, Morley and Savides. “They asked me about the hickory and got interested and we started. It’s been great.”
“Howie and I played golf together for years and he started playing the hickories,” Savides said. “At first, I was like, gee, I don’t know, I’ve got all these (metal) golf clubs, have my own golf course and coached high school (Mondovi) golf.
“But I got intrigued by the hickories and tried hitting a few of Howie’s clubs,” Savides added. “I thought, this is great. It’s a different kind of game and I was getting a little bored with the game of golf. The hickory game is like having an excuse to be a bad golfer again. You have these clubs that you are learning with and if you hit a good shot, it’s a real thrill.”
Nelsen said he started playing primarily with the wood-shafted clubs in the summer of 2015.
“I just took a liking to the game and knew I was hooked. Since that day I have not played many rounds with the metal clubs,” he said.
Nelsen, who said “half the fun is coming across the old clubs,” has developed a process to straighten bent shafts.
Meanwhile, Morley, who runs a custom golf shop in the Banbury building, collects, builds and refurbishes wood and metal clubs.
“Paul, Howie and I go back a long time; golfed and did work projects together, and we’ve all been intrigued by the game,” Morley said. “All of us have loved the game of golf and to go back to the original way it was played is just a joy.”
The foursome’s passion for bygone-era golf is expected to turn into a fever pitch for the golf tournament in June.
“You’ve got to have a golf addiction to start with and this is like going to a harder drug,” Savides said. “It’s a lot more fun to say I’m going to hit a niblick than a 9-iron.”
You might also hear hickory golfers using a play club (driver), spoon (5-wood), baffy (7-wood), mashie (4-iron) or jigger (chipper).
The group hopes to get a sizable number of out-of-town golfers for the 18-hole Lake Hallie tournament, but are also hoping to get locals interested in trying the game.
“We are hoping many of those who come already have the clubs, but we will have some to rent too,” Nelsen said. “We are really trying to encourage first-time hickory golfers to introduce them to the game.”
Tournament entry is $40, with club rental $5. Attendees will also be invited to Savides’ 9-hole course for a scramble event the following day.
A complete set of hickories may only be 5 to 8 clubs, meaning golfers need to be more creative and prepared to play a game closer to the ground than the modern game.
“You have to get over the fear of damaging the club,” Savides said, adding that using the wooden clubs helps develop a slower, smoother swing and that a golfer can expect to hit a wood-shafted club about 30 yards less than expected with a metal club.
“We’re hoping this tournament will draw a lot of interest in the hickories,” Morley said. “It’s a different type of game, but one we enjoy and encourage others to experience.”
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Information from: Leader-Telegram, https://www.leadertelegram.com/
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