In Defense of Hickory Golf Club Replicas
Gentlemen,
I could go on and on about why I think replica equipment is appropriate for Hickory golf, but I would just like the opportunity to address the concerns that have been presented, which seems to be that original equipment and replicas are not on a level playing field.
If the replica is a true replica/duplicate of the original, then why are they not the same? It has been mentioned that replicas are cast and not forged, as if castings are better. Castings are not better. Any type of groove or face pattern can be cast into the face, so there is not a “groove” advantage. The reason a replica is cast is that it is not economically feasible to create tooling and pay the price of a forging. The exact same club can be made by the casting or the forging process. The forged head will cost 5 to 8 times more than the cast head.
The purpose of the Society of Hickory Golers (SoHG) is to promote the play of hickory golf; to promote the experience of golf in a manner consistent with how the ‘royal and ancient game’ was played in the hickory era. I have incorporated this mission into every club we offer, especially the part about the experience of golf in a manner consistent with how the royal and ancient game was played in the hickory era. We at Louisville Golf have gone to great pains to make our replica clubs as close to an original as humanly possible.
The first iron we replicated was a niblick with a flange. This was a very hard to find original club but was a great club to have for getting out of sand traps. Not every player in the field had one of these clubs in their bag because not everyone could find one. So, do the guys who were able to find an original have an advantage over the guy who couldn’t find one? I think so. I found an H&B Par XL for my bag, but I had a lot of people calling me for one. So I took an original H&B and sent it out to be replicated. Now, everyone has an opportunity to have one in their bag, and the replica is an exact copy of the original. How is that not a level playing field?
It seems the people who are “original only” people are guys who have the time, knowledge, and means to acquire a set of very good, well-tuned originals. I think if you compared those original sets to a set of true replicas, you would find little or no difference in playability. I have heard the argument of a new shaft is better than an old original shaft. That is not true. An original shaft that has been tried and tested for 80+ years is a damn good piece of wood, and would be hard to match in a modern shaft.
I expanded our line to include other irons (all exact duplicates of originals) after having a conversation with Frank Boumphrey at Mid Pines (NC). He told me of his experience in trying to put together a good play set of clubs by buying on eBay. He had spent a few thousand dollars and accumulated a pile of rejects in putting together a good play set. Frank asked me if a short set could be made and offered at a reasonable price to make it easier for a person to get into Hickory golf rather than go through the frustrations he experienced. The outcome of that was Louisville Golf offering an introductory set of four irons and one wood for $675 which is a $185 discount from the regular price.
Again, if a replica is a true replica of an original, how can it be an advantage over the original club? I could take the cleek marks off the original and the Louisville replica, clean them up to the same condition, and you wouldn’t be able to tell one from the other. I was talking to one golfer in Dayton a few years ago and he said he didn’t think Louisville Golf replicas should be allowed. I asked him why? He said “your driver will hit the ball 20 yards further than my original driver.” My reply was that he must not have a very good original driver. And that is my point, not everyone can find GOOD originals.
Here’s what I think replicas do for Hickory golf. They allow the average guy to put together as good a set of clubs as a guy who has the time, knowledge, and money to put together a “super” set of originals. I am always willing to learn, so if there are other issues with the Hickory golf equipment that Louisville Golf is making I am willing to listen.
Thanks,
Mike Just
President, Louisville Golf
e-mail: mjust@louisvillegolf.com