The Mulligan

photo credit: Shannon Phantom   Traditionally, the mulligan is a shot that is re-taken only on the first tee.  Although there are no USGA rules governing the mulligan, it’s use continues among amateurs all over the world.  If a mulligan is taken and is worst than the first, the second shot is called a “Finnegan.”  Many golfers feel that giving a mulligan is good etiquette and in many cases, mulligans are sold to raise money for charity events.

The term “Mulligan,” was derived from the name of a Canadian golfer named David Mulligan in the 1920s.  During a round of golf at the Country Club of Montreal in Saint Lambert, Canada, Mulligan hit a poor tee shot, re-teed and shot again.  He called it a “correction shot.”  As time evolved, it became a “mulligan.”

Courses and Tournaments

photo credit: vic.bergmann   The oldest bridge in golf, is nearly 1000 years old.  The stone bridge over the Swilken Burn at St. Andrews in England (where Jack Nicklaus’ farewell photo was snapped), dates back to about A.D. 1000.  There was no golf course there at that time. . . mainly because golf had yet to be invented.

Through 2001, the following states have hosted the most championships:  Georgia, 67;  New York, 24;  Pennsylvania, 23;  Illinois, 19;  Ohio 18;  California, 13;  Michigan, 11;  Massachusetts, 10;  New Jersey, 9;  Minnesota, 7 and Oklahoma, 7.

Here is an unusual and  interesting oddity about St. Andrews course in Scotland:  The par ratings of the individual holes for an 18-hole palindrome.  They read the same way backward and forward: 444-454-434-434-454-444.

Historical Information

photo credit: Rob Ireton   In the early 1900s, a British golfer played a hole in one over par.  Referring to the “Colonel Bogey March,” which was popular at the time, the golfer told his playing partner. “Even Colonel Bogey could have done better than that!”  From that moment on, a score of one-over was called a bogey.

In 1922, the federal director of Prohibition enforcement for Minnesota gave these four reasons why golf was bad for family men: “First, golf is not intended for anybody under 55 years of age.  Second, it encourages idleness and shiftlessness.  Third, men neglect their families and their business duties to play the game.  And fourth, young men are tempted to take on expenses they cannot meet and so frequently are led to commit crimes.”

The Real Home of Golf

photo credit: Loz Flowers   Was Italy, rather than Scotland, the real home of golf?  Did the Italians invent golf?  The oldest known activity resembling golf was a Roman game called paginica, played in an open field with a bent stick and a leather ball stuffed with wool.  The theory is that the Romans brought the game with them when Julius Caesar led the invasion of Britain in 55 B.C.

The expression “O.B.,” which stands for “out of bounds,” is believed to have been coined in Ireland in the 1930s at Ballybunion.  There was a graveyard to the right of the 1st hole and Finbar O’Brien’s farm beyond it.  Many a tee shot was either “in the graveyard” or “O.B.”  The words “out of bounds” stood the test of time.

The Master’s Other Awards

photo credit: danperry.com   Everyone knows about the infamous Green Jacket awarded to the winner of the Masters golf tournament held at Augusta National every spring but most people aren’t aware of the other awards given during the event.  Here is a list of the remainder of the awards:

Golf Medal:  Winner -  Silver Medal and Silver Salver: Runner Up -  Silver Cup:  Low Amateur -  Silver Medal:  Amateur runner-up -  Crystal Vase: Each day’s low score -  Large Crystal Bowl:  Hole-in-one -  Pair of Crystal Goblets:  Eagle -  Large Crystal Bowl:  Double Eagle.

From 1955 through 1992, the winner received a silver box (originally a cigarette case) engraved with all the year’s competitors.

The amateur awards are given only to players who make the 36 hole cut.

Old & New Club Comparison

photo credit: 23dingenvoormusea   What follows are old/new club comparisons:  PLAY CLUB – driver. . . BRASSIE - 2 wood. . . SPOON - 3 wood. . . BAFFY - 4 wood. . . CLEEK - 1 iron. . . MID-IRON – 2 iron. . . MID-MASHIE – 3 iron. . . MASHIE IRON – 4 iron. . . MASHIE – 5 iron. . . SPADE MASHIE – 6 iron. . . MASHIE NIBLICK – 7 iron. . . PITCHING NIBLIC – 8 iron. . . NIBLICK – 9 iron. . . JIGGER – wedge. . . BAFFING SPOON – lob wedge. . . PUTTER – flat stick/putter.

The differences in clubs between then and now, were major with the biggest breakthrough in going from steel shafts to graphite.

Ancient Equipment

photo credit: suvodeb   In the beginning, golf clubs were shaped like hockey sticks.  The shafts were long and the heads were skinny and bowed.  The general shape was concave, which made it easier to lift the ball from ruts and high grass.

Hugh Williams was a Scottish clubmaker and a master craftsmen who made clubs from 1812 until his death in 1856.  He used thorn, apple and pear wood in his clubheads, and ash in the shafts.  Finally he discovered hickory, a far superior shaft material.

The club set consisted of the “play club” (today’s driver).  Back then, the golfer didn’t drive toward the target he “played upon it.”  They used “spoons” (long-mid-short) which were shaped like spoons.  A “baffing spoon,” was today’s lob-wedge. (to “baff” was to contact the ground just before hitting the ball).

The Forgotten 1 Iron

photo credit: gary.hisanaga   The majority of today’s golfers have never seen a 1 Iron or heard of their existence.

A 1 Iron is now just as rare as a 2 Wood, which has also become extinct.  The 1 Iron was used regularly until the emergence of high lofted woods such as the 7 wood and players discovered they were much easier to use.  With their ease of use, high ball trajectory and equal distance to the 1 Iron, they became the clubs of choice.

There were two players in history that were known for their great ability with the 1 Iron, Jack Nicklaus and Lee Trevino.  Nicklaus was probably the best long iron player the game has ever known and Trevino was the games best “shot-maker.”  Both could hit a 1 Iron 250 yds. with great accuracy.

What ever Happened to Night Golf?

photo credit: mrhayata   I remember, grabbing my golf bag, as a kid in Phoenix, AZ. and heading off to play some night golf in the middle of a hot Arizona summer.  The course was a legitimate par 3 layout which included a couple of nice par 4 holes.  The interesting thing about it was that the course lights were bright enough to illuminate the golf ball’s flight, it was more visible than in the bright light of day.

Another advantage, especially in the stifling Phoenix heat, was that it was so much cooler at night than the 108 degree daytime temperatures.

I often wonder why, like the drive-in movie, night golf just up and disappeared?  Who knows, maybe our grand-kids may be lucky enough to someday play “under the stars” and enjoy the cool of a summer night.

Evolution Of The Golf Ball

 

photo credit: zone41   Prior to the 17th Century, golf balls were made of wood, then along came the Featherie.  The Featherie was a sewn leather pouch filled with enough goose feathers to fill a top hat.  The feathers were boiled and stuffed in the leather pouch.  As it cooled the feathers expanded and the leather shrunk, creating a compact sphere. 

The Featherie was used for two centuries but because of it’s expense ($10-$20 in today’s dollars) was eventually replaced by the Gutta-Percha ball.  The Gutta-Percha was made from dried tree sap.  It had a very rubber-like quality.  By accident, it was discovered that defects on it’s surface (dimples) would improve it’s flight characteristics.

The 20th Century gave us the multi-layer balls with blends of surlyn and urethane that we use today.

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