Olden golden days

[Leveltwos]

Popped into Painswick GC for a bite to eat while on my travels last week and picked up one of their scorecards to look at. Delighted and surprised to see that was still a 7/8 handicap matrix on the back. Remember that from stablefords of old?
It got me thinking about the things that are different now from when I started playing. So far I’ve got -
Waterproof suits that were nowhere near waterproof
Balls individually wrapped in crinkly paper
Paying your annual subs in one go, by cheque, on time. No monthly direct debits and I’m not sure about credit cards either(?)
The clack of metal spikes on the patio
Banging your shoes against a wall to get mud off - no compressed air machines

I’m sure there’s dozens more.

 

[Orikoru]

Care to explain what '7/8 handicap matrix' means??

Yeah golf shoes were awful back in the day, even 15 years ago. Stiff uncomfortable office shoes with metal spikes.

 

[Grant85]

carrying your golf clubs
huge waiting lists at almost every club
jacket and tie required to go into the clubhouse

 

[Hobbit]

Ball shoots by the first tee, although some clubs may well still use them.
Sand boxes on the tee, not that I ever saw anyone build a little sand tee.
Large floppy tongues on golf shoes.
Hip flasks. Once upon a time quite a few Sunday fourballs would have one.

 

[Grant85]

Care to explain what '7/8 handicap matrix' means??

Yeah golf shoes were awful back in the day, even 15 years ago. Stiff uncomfortable office shoes with metal spikes.

A quick way of working out what 7/8 of your handicap is.

i.e. 7/8 of 18 would be 15.75.

Apparently people didn't always carry smartphones about with them

 

[Robster59]

Heels being ripped off by the old Stylo shoes which had no give.
Frilly covers over the laces (God knows what for).
No cavity backs so every iron you bought was a blade
Golf balls that cut with a "smile" on them as soon as you topped them
Single strap golf bags no use to someone round shouldered like me

I am sure more will spring to mind

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Spike shoes with the tongue on top of the laces
No juniors allowed in the bar
Jacket and tie after 7.00pm and on all day Sundays
Balata balls
Being a junior and playing 54 holes in a day without worrying

 

[Leveltwos]

Orikoru,
Back in the 80’s stablefords for some reason were often played off 7/8 of your handicap instead of the full we use now. As very few people knew their 7/8 table clubs used to print a matrix on the back of the scorecard so you would look up your handicap and alongside was its 7/8 equivalent rounded accordingly so 10 became 9; 16 became 14, 20 became 18 etc. I think it was mainly to keep low handicaps happy or less unhappy by lopping a shot or two off the rest of us. 4 and under didn’t lose a shot

 

[rosecott]

Large floppy tongues on golf shoes.

Frilly covers over the laces (God knows what for)

Kilties - think they were meant to deflect rain from the laces area. You can still buy them to fit on to your existing shoes - stand out from the crowd.

 

[garyinderry]

"Could you tend that for me old bean"

 

[woofers]

Persimmon woods

 

[Dando]

Heels being ripped off by the old Stylo shoes which had no give.
Frilly covers over the laces (God knows what for).
No cavity backs so every iron you bought was a blade
Golf balls that cut with a "smile" on them as soon as you topped them
Single strap golf bags no use to someone round shouldered like me

I am sure more will spring to mind

Nothing wrong with blades!
My first set were blades and I’ve used nothing else since.

 

[Robin Hood]

Polyester polo shirts with huge pointed or round collars - nice !!

 

[Dando]

Pringle jumpers 🤢

 

[jim8flog]

No graphite shafts on any club.
Aluminium shafts on some clubs.
Many players still carrying hickory shafted clubs

 

[Robin Hood]

Gentlemen only bar.

 

[Dando]

“Nailing” a tee shot with a persimmon wood and balata ball 200 yards! I’m sure many on here still dream of those distances with modern gear 😂😂😂😂😂😂

 

[IanM]

Faldo "Pringle Man" Jumpers.....
Drivers with heads smaller than modern 5 woods
Metal legs that you attached to golf bags...weighed a ton!
Noisy waterproofs that were not!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Plastic tubes that fitted inside your golf bag

 

[jim8flog]

Rubber golf shoes with spikes (great for walking around in the snow and ice, wish I had not thrown mine away)