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When It Was Just A Game We Played

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JeffReedMO

JeffReedMO

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The Rant thread made me think of something today. Smack dab in the middle of some minor disagreements about equipment, something cool was being talked about. What we gamed before we cared as much as we do now. There were some interesting names thrown about. Some we have heard of and gamed ourselves. Some, none of us had a clue about. We remembered them fondly. Some, we were glad to see go.

Golf wasn't always about what was new and shiny, or had the best marketing. It wasn't about state if the art fittings or endless lines of information at our fingertips. We gamed what we had and made it work. Summer jobs were worked to buy new toys, but for a big majority if us, we got our start very simple and made it work for a long while.

What were you gaming when you started trying to tame this crazy game we love?

Here's my first set. My Dad got it for me for Christmas when I was 12. A complete set of Northwestern sticks. I broke the driver, which is why you don't see it in the pictures below.

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Awesome you still have that Jeff.
 
Damaikis said:
Awesome you still have that Jeff.
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Mixed in amongst a Cleveland staff bag, hundreds of dollars of driver shafts, and old irons, putters and everything else, this is my prize possession. It sits in the corner and reminds me of humble beginnings.
 
Wow, those are some old irons (well, at least they look old). I first took this game up 8 years ago and my first set was an Adams Tight Lies GT complete set. I have replaced everything but the iron set. I hope to replace that soon.
 
My first set was a set from JC Penneys. Not sure of the brand, the the model was "Augusta". They were blades (it was 1977 or 78) and went from 3-PW. Also included a 1-3-4 wood set. Cost 40 bucks. Bought a bag for 20, a putter for 15 or 20 and shoes for maybe 30? Not sure of the exact prices, my parents bought them. Used them until 1992 when I bought a set of Browning 500's (yes, Browning, like the guns). By then I had a TaylorMade metal driver, which replaced my Haig driver out of the set below (I had the 1, 2, 3 and 4 woods), which I used from about 1984 until 1995 or 96.


I finally found a picture of the irons, looks like they are on ebay!


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A link to a set of Browning 500 irons on ebay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/RH-3-PW-BRO...30857613647?pt=Golf_Clubs&hash=item1e77b8b94f


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That's so awesome. My first set is long gone and nowhere to be found but I love that you kept them and remind yourself about what the game means to you. Just have fun playing a game with great people and the great outdoors.

Still wish I would have kept some of my older sets but they had to move on and actually my brother still plays the set I gave him years ago, a set of Wilson Staff Midsize irons. I really wish I wouldn't have gotten rid of them. But glad my brother can get out now with us and we can share some great times together.
 
Smallville said:
My first set was a set from JC Penneys. Not sure of the brand, the the model was "Augusta". They were blades (it was 1977 or 78) and went from 3-PW. Also included a 1-3-4 wood set. Cost 40 bucks. Bought a bag for 20, a putter for 15 or 20 and shoes for maybe 30? Not sure of the exact prices, my parents bought them. Used them until 1992 when I bought a set of Browning 500's (yes, Browning, like the guns). By then I had a TaylorMade metal driver, which replaced my Haig driver out of the set below (I had the 1, 2, 3 and 4 woods), which I used from about 1984 until 1995 or 96.


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My Dad played his original three wood (it was actually wood) from when he was 17, up to about three years ago. hit the tar out of it, until I gave him my old Cleveland Launcher, which he just pulverizes now. I also saw a Browning club on eBay the other day. I had no idea Browning even made clubs until seeing that.

thetopdogg said:
That's so awesome. My first set is long gone and nowhere to be found but I love that you kept them and remind yourself about what the game means to you. Just have fun playing a game with great people and the great outdoors.

Still wish I would have kept some of my older sets but they had to move on and actually my brother still plays the set I gave him years ago, a set of Wilson Staff Midsize irons. I really wish I wouldn't have gotten rid of them. But glad my brother can get out now with us and we can share some great times together.
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"

Dude, your brother getting to play your old sticks, is just as awesome as you still having them. Being able to pass something down (or up) is always a cool feeling.
 
My first set was a full set of Wilson Augusta irons and persimmon (probably not actually persimmon) 3 wood and driver. I still have them in a dusty corner of the garage. I should pull them out some time and see if they're still as hard to hit as they were when I was in junior high :D
 
syndicate559 said:
My first set was a full set of Wilson Augusta irons and persimmon (probably not actually persimmon) 3 wood and driver. I still have them in a dusty corner of the garage. I should pull them out some time and see if they're still as hard to hit as they were when I was in junior high :D
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I am going to clean these up and take them to the range one day. Just a few of us talking in the rant thread today got me to thinking about this and thinking I should take them out one day and just hit 'em again, like the old days.
 
Added pics of the irons above, I found them on ebay!
 
Smallville said:
Added pics of the irons above, I found them on ebay!
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Maybe its problems on my end, but I am not seeing the pictures. That's one thing I admire about you guys that started playing years before my time. Y'all had to learn to strike the ball with some wicked small irons.
 
I'll save them to photobucket.
 
My first set were hand me down Wilson gear affects and some knock off big Bertha woods.
 
JeffReedMO said:
Maybe its problems on my end, but I am not seeing the pictures. That's one thing I admire about you guys that started playing years before my time. Y'all had to learn to strike the ball with some wicked small irons.
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Updated.
 
syndicate559 said:
My first set was a full set of Wilson Augusta irons and persimmon (probably not actually persimmon) 3 wood and driver. I still have them in a dusty corner of the garage. I should pull them out some time and see if they're still as hard to hit as they were when I was in junior high :D
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Are they the ones in my first post in this thread?



JeffReedMO said:
Yeah, they should stick to guns and fishing equipment. Jeez.
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They remind me of the TaylorMade SuperLaunch irons from a couple years ago. I loved them. I could hit them!
 
No pictures but I do still have my irons, 3w, and sand wedge stashed away at my dads somewhere. Bought the Northwestern 11-piece set myself along with a dumpy bag, wedge, and putter at Walmart in 93'. Driver and 5w were broken at some point. 3i is bent at the top of the face because I teed it too high on the range. I didn't know any better. Northwestern sand wedge also. I actually played it for many years and took a screwdriver to the grooves on more than one occasion.

My favorite had to be the Dunlop Loco driver a few years after I started. Blue with yellow Harrison Striper shaft. Killed it.
 
These were the first clubs I ever purchased, used at a golf show. Man oh man, the memories of the pain that they inflicted on my hands and wrists.

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My first set was a set of Wilson youth clubs at age 8. Don't have them anymore, but my most memorable moment came with those clubs. Probably 80 yards out, swing with all my 8 year old power. Completely miss ball and ground, only to see the club head fly and land 2 feet from the cup. :blob:

Dan
 
A buddy of mine put these together for me 8 yrs. ago for me my first set now a lonely back up..

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Smallville said:
Are they the ones in my first post in this thread?
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I think mine might have been a little newer. I bought them new at a Big 5 in, I want to say, maybe 1985? I'll take some pics and put them up.
 
syndicate559 said:
I think mine might have been a little newer. I bought them new at a Big 5 in, I want to say, maybe 1985? I'll take some pics and put them up.
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Thanks!
 
First shot at posting photos on THP, but let's see if this will work. Here are a couple shots of my old, mid-80s Wilson Augusta clubs. Grabbed the driver (the size of a modern 7-wood if not slightly smaller) and 7-iron and just wiped them off with a rag real quick. They've been sitting in garages for over 20 years, so they're not looking real sharp.
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