June 28 – Charlottesville, Va.
SoHG member and former treasurer for the Society, Jim Clawson is familiar to many on the hickory tour. Often seen on course in his kilt and white, broad brimmed hat, Mr. Clawson is enthusiastic about his golf, and that includes moderns, too. Recently, his club, the Birdwood Golf Course in Charlottesville, Va., opened to members after 18 months of renovation by Davis Love III. Jim wasted no time. Here is his tale:
Hi Gentlemen!
The NEW ($13 million) Davis Love re-designed Birdwood Golf Course (Charlottesville, Va.) opened yesterday after 18 months to members and with moderns from my age appropriate tees, I shot 80. Today (Sunday, June 28) from same tees (Sage at 4740) with hickories I shot my (usual, most common, 90% of the time for 15 years playing hickories, grrrr ☹) 88. THAT’S the course record for hickories. I challenge you all to beat it! I’ve challenged the assistant pro to do the same. Rules: play your normal tees that you play with moderns. Play a modern ball. Yardage lasers okay – there is GPS on the Cadillac carts. The course has a very different feel, almost like transporting a South Carolina marshland course into the highlands of Virginia. You’ll see why when you play it. The place is covered with “Love grass,” waist high fescues, like Muirfield, or as my Scottish caddie called it “Love Grass – because when you’re in it, you’re foooked.” Double Entendre at our course now!
Okay, the gauntlet is on the floor! Pick it up when you can. Send your results to me and I’ll keep Virginia Hickory Golf Association informed. We can do a net course record, too, if you’d like. In that case, the net hickory course record, as of June 28, stands at 70.
Of course, all this leads us to wonder, do any of you hold hickory records somewhere? Maybe you will not be getting out at Birdwood anytime soon, but, perhaps in your neck of the woods?