Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland tees off on the 8th hole during the third round of the Dubai Desert Classic in the United Arab Emirates in January. Photo / AP
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland tees off on the 8th hole during the third round of the Dubai Desert Classic in the United Arab Emirates in January. Photo / AP
Golfing great Sir Bob Charles has won another tournament, but with a difference.
And the 87-year-old has celebrated by emphatically supporting moves to dial back modern golf hitting distance via the introduction of new, restricted balls.
The 1963 British Open winner triumphed in the New Zealand Hickory Open at his home Christchurch Golf Club at Shirley, beating a field of much younger competitors.
Charles used a bag of six clubs with hickory shafts, the traditional material swept aside by the steel and graphite revolution.
It’s golf balls rather than clubs that are under official scrutiny, however.
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The sport’s ruling bodies (Royal and Ancient/US Golf Association) may decree that professionals and elite amateurs use balls that will not fly as far as the current ones.
Charles is a strong critic of how the game has developed, saying extreme hitting distances are making some wonderful courses obsolete, rounds for all golfers are taking too long to complete, and the game is becoming inaccessible for newcomers. He would like more finesse back in the game.
“It’s too little too late – they should have done this five or even 10 years ago,” he said of the new ball proposal.
“Rounds were taking six hours at St Andrews (British Open) last year. The game should be three and a half to four hours, not five to six.
“Who has five or six hours to spend on a golf course? That’s not encouraging newcomers to the game. ”
Charles said the average golfer would hardly be affected by the new balls, but the game would be re-shaped in a good way because big hitters would lose up to 90m off the tee.
“On the PGA tour, the average second shot on a par four is no more than a nine iron,” he said.
“Here, men and ladies are taking three shots to reach par fours, four shots to reach par fives, and can’t even reach the par threes in one. That’s not fun, that’s punishment.
“The average golfer doesn’t play from tees that are compatible with their game because, in part, the courses have got too long.
“The further you hit the ball, the less likely you are to hit the fairway – even in the pro game.
“Are we going to get 700-yard par fives – there’s not enough real estate in the world to accommodate golf courses that long.
“I don’t like the way the game is going – it’s become a big bash. I’m adamant – the ball needs to be restricted”
Charles still constantly experiments with clubs to find the perfect ones for his game.
Sir Bob Charles says he has plenty to keep him busy. Photo / APN
He will take two graphite-shafted drivers with him on Saturday, when he plays a tournament to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Christchurch club, the second oldest (behind Dunedin) in the country.
He still mainly plays with steel-shafted irons and graphite woods, but loves the feel and finesse associated with hickory clubs, along with playing on firm links courses.
“I’ve given up trying to stop the ball,” he said.
“In America most of the game is played through the air but on links you can play along the ground.
“The greens and fairways are firm – there’s a lot of roll on the ball.
“We’ve tried to restore the Christchurch Golf Club to its original links with an absence of trees, and you can roll the ball along the ground.”
And for anyone wanting to try the hickory game, finding clubs should not be a problem, he said, although they were more prone to breaking than modern equivalents.
“They’re in abundance in Christchurch,” he said.
“One gentleman, Peter van Eekelen, says he spent half a million dollars buying hickory clubs from all over the world.
“He’s got a huge collection which he refurbishes. There are enough hickory shafts around to outfit most golfers in New Zealand.
“The first two clubs I ever used were hickory, a mashie and a midiron, hitting balls in a paddock behind the BNZ in Martinborough.
“I’ve recently gone back to practising and playing with hickory and using a softer ball rather than the high velocity, hard and expensive one I’ve used for 20 years.
“The great thing about hickory is distance is not king. Hickory has a different feel and sound, and the interesting thing is I haven’t lost much distance.”
Whatever the course or equipment, he sticks by an adage: “The great thing about golf is not how many good shots you hit, but how few bad shots you hit. I’m trying to eliminate the bad shots.
“I got a big kick out of winning the Hickory Open. I hope I can have a day to be happy with on Saturday.”
