September 2015
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The Long Game Newsletter of the Golf Society of Australia S G A No 54, SEPTEMBER 2015 Presidents Trophy 2015 Inside This Issue by Cliff George Page 1 Presidents Trophy 2015 This delightful annual event was held on Monday 3rd of August at Royal Melbourne Golf Club and attracted a strong field of 26 eager participants. Page 2 In the most challenging conditions of rain, hail and wind, accompanied by Golf Club Historians Forum warm sunshine, and a golf course in perfect condition, the field was reduced at Barwon Heads Golf Club to four qualifiers for knock out match play, after a most enjoyable lunch. New Members The first two ball match between Paul Burgess and Paul Bray was decided very Page 3-5 quickly on the first hole of the East Course in favour of Paul Bray. The second match, between Bill Young and Rod Hiscox produced some very exciting golf Old Hickory In Young Hands when the first hole was halved. John Fischer III Proceeding to the second hole of the East Course the struggle for supremacy Page 5 continued with this great par 4 hole deciding who would go forward and challenge St Andrews – In the steps of Paul Bray; Rod Hiscox emerged the victor and we proceeded to the third hole on Old Tom Morris the East Course for the dramatic playoff between Rod and Paul Bray. With Rod by Roger McStravick playing off a handicap of 26, and Paul off 4, the lower handicapped man quickly emerged a convincing winner with a comfortable par 4 resulting from a beautiful Page 6 approach putt, a feature of Paul’s game all day. Seven Clubs enough I had the pleasure of playing with Paul in the morning qualifying round when for Harry Vardon he emerged as leading qualifier, with some excellent golf, despite the tough conditions. Congratulations to Paul Bray who was presented with the trophy by Page 7 Geoff Vincent back in the warmth of the clubhouse. Claytons Corner Page 8 Balfour-Mellville Clubs For The Diary Monday October 12th Golf Historians at Yarra Yarra Golf Club Sunday October 18th GSA Hickory Championships at Kingston Heath Golf Club Monday November 23rd Doug Bachli Trophy at Victoria Golf Club Paul Bray with Presidents Trophy Hail on the West Course at Royal Melbourne The Long Game | September 2015 1 Golf Club Historians Forum at Barwon Heads Golf Club By Peter Gompertz Thirty GSA members, and golf club historians, attended at Barwon Heads Golf Club in a meeting room which overlooked the 18th fairway and green. The course looked in prime condition but our attention was held by a variety of informed speakers who kept us attentive. In the absence of President Geoff Vincent, Convenor Kim Hastie spoke on the role of the Golf Society and introduced our speakers. Val Lawrence and David Edge, both members of the Barwon Head Golfs Club Museum committee, gave us interesting insights into the history and development of the club, and its course, since its foundation in 1907. Like a lot of golf clubs founded in the early 20th Val Lawrence century a club house fire had destroyed useful historical material but diligent research by a succession of interested members including a journalist, Pamela Evans, has reclaimed most of the history so that when the time came to write the history of the club it was less difficult. The area is well served with quality golf courses and the General Manager of 13th Beach, Anthony Masters, spoke with pride about the history of his club from its opening in 2001. The course has hosted the Victorian Open and expects to for the next few years. It has a large residential base of members and as part of the RACV group, continues to prosper. The Beach course, designed by Tony Cashmore, was laid out over land that had previously been used to grow Asparagus and later raise beef cattle. The Creek course, a later Anthony Masters development by Tony Cashmore, with input from Sir Nick Faldo, is found to be less difficult by the members. Greg Libbis, President of Torquay Golf Club, outlined the continued development of his club since its early days as a 9 hole course attached to the Palace Hotel, and an extension to an old house, which formed the first clubhouse obtained by buying the dining room from the 1956 Olympic Village. The club is well supported in summer, with visitors camping nearby and the club running a ‘Townies’ versus ‘Tenties’ golf match. Mandy Buckley, a Life Member of Torquay Golf Club, entertained us with some amusing details of the politics of Western District Ladies Golf Associations over the years. Greg Libbis As Cliff George was confined to bed with the flu, Peter Gompertz read Cliffs contribution on the current activities of the ‘Hickory Heroes’’. Kim Hastie proposed a vote of thanks to all the speakers for their contribution. NEW MEMBERS Welcome to Dr Jennifer Picking and Barbara Aylen Mandy Buckley 2 The Long Game | September 2015 OLD HICKORY IN YOUNG HANDS John Fischer III (Note: The following article has been adapted from a presentation given at the 2008 Annual Dinner of the Golf Collectors Society.) John W. Fischer Jr., my father, I mention this history not to extol He knew a variety of shots, and always was the last person to win a my father’s competitive record, but worked the ball, usually from right major championship, the 1936 because it was accomplished using to left. But he could make the ball do hickory-shafted clubs against players what he wanted when necessary. As an U.S. Amateur, using hickory- who were using steel-shafted clubs. example of his swing knowledge, and shafted clubs. Among the players he defeated with ability, consider his comments about a By the early 1930s, most tournament his hickories were Chick Evans (twice swing adjustment he made during the players had changed over to steel, in the Amateur), Tommy Armour, 1936 U.S. Amateur: “I changed my flat but my father stayed with the girl he Gene Sarazen, Walter Hagen, Johnny swing to a more upright stroke in that brought to the dance, and who had Goodman and Lawson Little. rain squall during my semifinal match been so faithful to him. In fact, Dad against Johnny Goodman at Garden played with hickory-shafted clubs City. I did this to counteract a watery until 1955. He did not change over film between the ball and the clubface.” to steel because of the benefits of new Imagine changing your swing in technology; he changed because he mid-championship for one match. could no longer get quality hickory He had the confidence that he could shafts. His supplier, the T.W. Minton make that type of adjustment when Company of Barbourville, Ky., no necessary, and it worked since he longer produced them. won that match, and the final, on the Newspapers first noted a young following day after reverting to his Johnny Fischer in 1927 when at age John W. Fischer Jr., the last USGA standard, flatter, swing. 15 he won the Cincinnati Junior champion to win with hickory-shafted clubs. In a 1940 article, my father described Championship at match play and the (Courtesy of John Fischer III) his clubs as follows: “My pitching Cincinnati Caddie Championship at irons are heavier than the other irons. My father had several reasons for liking stroke play, in both cases using seven Although my irons are a mongrel set hickory, and continuing to use them borrowed clubs. of hickory-shafted clubs, purchased after the advent of steel shafts. First, he one at a time, workbench tinkering He won the Cincinnati Metropolitan had a very fast swing, and he felt that to obtain the proper ‘feel,’ has, to my Championship in 1930, the NCAA the slightly heavier irons, about a D-2 surprise, produced a graduated set of Individual Championship in 1932 swing weight, and stiff shafts were better irons, in which the driving iron weighs playing for Michigan, three Big Ten suited to controlling his swing. Second, 13¾ oz. and the niblick 16 oz., while Individual Championships, was twice he learned to play with borrowed the intermediate clubs fit into this medalist in the National Amateur, hickories. Having developed his swing weight range in proper order.” twice quarter finalist and once by watching better players as a caddie semifinalist in the Amateur and played and copying their methods, he didn’t It was an odd set. Most of the clubs on three Walker Cup Teams (never want to change. His swing was designed were Tom Stewart designs, but there losing a match) and, of course, won to get the best results from a person of was a niblick marked “Sunningdale,” our national amateur championship his build – 150 pounds (68 kilos) and a few odd George Nicoll clubs and a in 1936, defeating Scotland’s Jack six-feet one and a half inches tall (184 dreadnought niblick by James Spence. McLean, 1 up in 37 holes, at Garden cms). He had a flat swing and took the continued on page 4 >> City (N.Y.) Golf Club. club past parallel on longer shots. Johnny Fischer putting in the 1936 final of the US Amateur, defeating Jack Mclean (Scotland ) on the 37th. The Long Game | September 2015 3 Continued from page 3 OLD HICKORY IN YOUNG HANDS John Fischer III He shafted and re-shafted his clubs in However, the chipper and the left- That struggle in the rain against his basement workshop, and filed the handed clubs had to go in 1938.