Hickory Golf
Hickory golf is the traditional version of the classic golf that is played with rackets from the wood of Hickorybaums. This nut tree species from eastern North America and China supplies the hard yet elastic wood for the shafts of golf clubs. Until the legalization of steel shafts in 1929 these thugs the standard in golf, John W. Fisher Jr. had was 1936, the last winner of a Major Championships (U.S. Amateur Championship ) with Hickoryschlägern.
Hickory golf has become a synonym for golf in the style of earlier times ( Vintage Golf, Golf History ) and has many followers worldwide. In particular, in the UK, which applies to many to be the Mother of the golf game, this tradition is kept high. Today once more hickory golf tournaments and championships will take place where it is played with rackets and classic traditional golf balls as well as old rules. For this purpose, a stylish outfit is also usually required. In Germany is held annually since 2009 under the auspices of the European Association of Golf Historians & Collectors ( EAGHC ) the German Hickory Championship. Venues were far Bad Wildungen ( 2009, 2010 and 2011) and Wentorf Reinbek (2012 and 2013). For many years, also sought the traditional Ducal Golf Club Oberhof, but so far without success, his 1952 closed golf course to reopen to operate there, especially the hickory golf game.
The equipment
The game is played with rackets from hickory wood with leather handles. This way, carry no numbers, but such illustrious names like Spoon, Brassie, Mashie Niblick or. As golf balls either classic " Gutty " are used, which are made of rubber-like gutta-percha, or modern golf balls produced in old forms. While it is played in Europe throughout with Originalhickoryschlägern from the period to 1936, also hand-crafted sets of clubs from the perhaps last intact bat manufacturers in St. Andrews / Scotland or Louisville / Kentucky as well as faithful reproductions of Guttys are approved in the U.S.. For the Hickory golfers there is also a special dress code: you dress, for example, in the United Kingdom as to colonial times or in Germany as the imperial period, or at least as one would imagine this: the men with flat cap, knickers, knee socks in a diamond pattern and a hip flask in your pocket, the ladies with long skirts and Victorian hats or even the style of the golden 20s.
The special attraction
Hickory golf is viewed by golfers as a good challenge because it is difficult to play as a modern golf. The old bat models forgive any mistakes. The so-called sweet spot, the center of gravity of the club at which the maximum power is transmitted from the clubface to the golf ball must be hit exactly in order to avoid losses and scattering length of the golf ball. The elasticity of the wood requires a smoother swing. Who plays much with hickory clubs, become a better golfer, so some professionals say.