“Play the ball as it lie and the course as you find it.”- Bobby Jones
The Society of Hickory Golfers (SoHG) and similar groups regularly play on modern, regulation golf courses, not just historic ones. While they use pre-1935 antique clubs or approved replicas, they often play on modern courses, playing shorter tee boxes to accommodate the 180-yard average drives.
Selecting the correct tee box is the equalizer I often play with my college players and elite high school players and they will play the tips and I will play between 6200-6500 yards and our tee shots will be in the same vicinity. Par 5s are 3 shots for me when I use persimmon usually driver, 5 wood then a flip wedge which is extremely fun. Most of the time my score is lower on par 5s than theirs.
Par 3s are dead even I’m playing a mid iron and they are also. Par 4s are where the rubber meets the road because with classic equipment you have to think more about playing the hole from the green backwards versus modern golf from the tee box through the green. That subtle mental adjustment can make the difference between businessmen pars and tough bogies for classic golfers.
Playing the correct tee box bridges the gap between modern and classic golf at the end of the day. Its such a beautiful sport that as a coach I enjoy seeing people out walking and enjoying nature while chasing old man par.
Let’s not forget about the things that make this game the best in the world.
Cheers