Bill, I HAVE one of those Shakespeare fiberglass-shafted clubs--unsplit shaft. I've never used it and the person I bought it from apparently didn't either. A real pioneer, however!
Craig
MacKinnon Golf
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Bernie & CraigOverlook is still there but with 18 new greens by Jack Nicklaus' golf construction team. Back in 1953 and just discharged from 3 years of the Korean War ( or was it a police action?), the greens had more bounce to them than the cart paths. Two inches of top soil overtop of solid hard rock clay. I was the proud owner of a set of brand spanking new Shakespeare clubs with pure white fiberglass shafts. They lasted 3 rounds and then split from the grip to the hosel. I was devastated! Man they were really kick-assed looking sticks. How many remember them?The friendly merchant refunded my purchase and I bought what everybody else in the word was using. Crappy looking Sam Snead Championship clubs with his famous straw hat emblazoned on the clubhead.'From: Bernie BaymillerSent: Wednesday, August 18, 2004 3:41 PMSubject: Re: ShopTalk: SuckersCraig,Yes, I know you meant the year. I meant guys who were playing in '55. I'm 70 this year and I've been playing since I was seven...first 18 hole round was in 1941 on Lancaster County's Overlook golf course...which as Swingler can attest is still there and in OK shape for a muni.I played through the '50s with Bobby Jones Tournament Model irons (great blades) and a set of Spalding Top Flite walnut stained laminated maple woods. Had a black Hogan persimmon driver that I hit pretty well, too. Also played fairway woods which were experimental Spalding Bobby Jones models made of a plastic like Bakelite...excellent playing clubs. After about 20 years, I'd hit one and it would just shatter...guess the plasticizer finally migrated out of them. Still have a junior 3W and a woman's 4W, though. I hit all of those clubs as well as I hit today's clubs, but today's clubs (particularly the drivers) hit the ball much farther. (I still have my Top Flite driver and a couple of irons to compare with my present set.) The old clubs are just too heavy for me now, and I can only get 220 yards out of that 43" maple driver, while I can get 250 yards and sometimes more with my 298 gram, 48" S450 driver.Bernie
Writeto: [EMAIL PROTECTED]----- Original Message -----From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]Sent: Wednesday, August 18, 2004 11:17 AMSubject: Re: ShopTalk: SuckersBernie, I meant the YEAR, 1955 not 55 year olds--I'm 60. Perhaps I should have used the YEAR, 1945? I stand in awe of the good golfers of that era-persimmon and forged muscle-backs with very little forgiveness yet they were scoring quite well--"Those guys were really good!" to borrow a line from the PGA.
Craig
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>Who knows? If a golfer back in '55 saw the clubs folks are swinging today, he would think we are nuts--and perhaps we are??!!'55? Hey, Craig, you're talking to more than a couple of '55ers on this forum. And, I'm sure wishing I had today's clubs back then. Might have even been able to give Billy Haverstick (LCC) a run for the PA state amateur on my home course shortly after that date. Just wasn't long enough with those old sticks on a long golf course at 136 pounds. :-) Billy beat Julie Boros' brother in the match play finals 1 up, I think...one of the best match play rounds I've ever seen on the #44 rated course in the country at that time.Bernie
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