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Some golfers returning to hickory clubs

Original wood style more like golf from Scotland

Posted 1/23/20

Many golfers joke the sport is in their DNA. Local golfer John McIntosh said he has proof that is true in his case.

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Some golfers returning to hickory clubs

Original wood style more like golf from Scotland

Posted

Many golfers joke the sport is in their DNA. Local golfer John McIntosh said he has proof that is true in his case.

Mr. McIntosh is the grandson of a Scottish golf professional, David McIntosh, who came to the United States in 1897 to teach the sport and was the first golf professional at a new country club in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

A few years later he moved to the Chicago area and in 1924 he designed and opened the Oak Hills Golf Club. Later, his son, Jock, was brought in to help run the course. Eventually young John began working there as he was growing up to keep golf a major part of his life.

The family sold the course to a housing developer in  1974 and Mr. McIntosh and his father brought their families to Arizona to start a golf car business. They now own and operate Southwest Golf Cars in Sun City West, Sun City, Youngtown and Goodyear.

Keeping things in the family, Mr. McIntosh’s son manages one of the three offices while his wife manages another.

Mr. McIntosh has always been an avid golfer and holds the club record of 62 at one local course. He always used the traditional metal clubs.

 But a few years ago he took some of his grandfather’s old wood clubs and had them repaired. He was amazed at how differently they played. He also started buying antique clubs and playing with them.

“They are more difficult than the modern clubs,” Mr. McIntosh said. “But, they were the clubs used when the game was invented in Scotland.”

Mr. McIntosh said he plays a few holes two or three times each week and every time he does feels a strong spiritual connection to his father and grandfather while out on the course.

“Just me and grandpa, and I feel his energy,” he said.

Tim Hurley, RCSCW governing board member and chairman of the Golf Committee, is an avid golfer who plays about four times each week. He has never played with the old wooden clubs but thinks he would like to try it sometime.

“It would be an interesting challenge,” he said.

Other local golfers also love using the old wood clubs.

Ken Holtz, Sun City West resident, said there are about 150 golfers in Arizona using the hickory clubs and the number is growing every day.

Mr. Holtz said he began collecting antique golf clubs in the 1980s and then began playing with them in the 1990s and hasn’t gone back to metal clubs.

“The hickory clubs are just too much fun,” he said.

Mr. Holtz is coordinating the Arizona Desert Hickory Classic golf tournament 8:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 29, at the Grandview Golf Course, 14260 W Meeker Blvd, and 8 a.m. Sunday, March 1, at the Pebblebrook Golf Course, 18836 N 128th Ave.

About 80 players registered and half are from Arizona. There are some players from Canada and one from Denmark, he said.

Admission is free to watch, and players are encouraged to wear period clothing, such as knickers, ties, vests and boater style hats.

Visit hickorygolfers.com.

Editor's Note: Mr. Ball is a former Sun City West Independent reporter.