How do Hickory Golf Clubs Stand Up to Modern Technology? Lido Golf Club 

Mulligan on the first tee! One of us! One of us!

Great to see you playing hickories again, Erik. Your video at the U.S. Hickory Open is what inspired me to try hickories and I’ve been playing them pretty much exclusively ever since. I know it’s counterintuitive, but as a high handicapper, I actually have way more fun playing hickories than I did moderns. Knowing that the clubs are more difficult to play makes great shots feel even sweeter. I’ve also learned to appreciate golf course design in a a way that most modern golfers never do because they’re mostly just hitting driver/wedge on most holes. Not to mention the fun I have finding, repairing, and then playing with these clubs. Add all that up and I’m enjoying this great game in a way that I never did playing modern golf.

I would argue that playing with the hickories gave you a better appreciation of the modern clubs. Sometimes we forget how forgiving clubs have gotten, and therefore how truly great the old greats were to do what they did with what they had at the time. I'd love to rent a set of Hickory clubs and play a round, just to see what it was like.

For years I would take one mulligan per nine. I was just playing for fun with my friends and we all did it. Then, a couple years ago I decided I wanted to keep a handicap which meant no mulligans, breakfast balls, gimmies, ect... I quickly realized I was about 5 shots worse than I thought I was. Made me have a real appreciation for how good the tour pros are to shoot low without ever taking a do over.

Absolutely love the way this was shot! Can’t wait to have the opportunity to play there!

man that lil anecdote about how much you've paid towards golf vs what you've gotten out of it, really makes you realise how great this game is

No comparison for hickory clubs to “stand up” to, or be in competition to modern technology. Each hickory club has it’s own “personality”, and when you first play them it’s like a blind date with a girl….it takes a while to get to know her, but you just might fall in love! The hickory game (for most who play it) is not about score…but rather a deeper sense of feeling and emotion, a broadened passion. It brings back the raw skill, creativity, artistry, and architectural relevance of the course you are playing. It emphasizes gentlemanship, style/dress/attire, fellowship & camaraderie of those alongside you, and a connection to the natural environment around you….especially when you walk your round. To experience the hickory game as it was played, is well beyond the simplicity of distance and score. Some say golf is in their blood, a hickory player has golf in the depths of their soul. Modern golf is certainly fun, but if you’re a true “player”, I encourage you to go deeper in the game.

I'm in a very lonely segment of golf fans who thinks the PGA Tour should have 1 event where the pros hit hickory woods, forged muscle-back irons, steel shafts, & 3 piece gel balata balls. it can be a winter fun season event but I think it would be cool. My 1st set of clubs were my dad's old hickory and my only Ace was with his forged 5i. So there's that.

Holy Crap! love that place! and I'm only sixteen seconds into the film. And it just gets better-one minute. Thanks

Always a good day when EAL drops a video

I just recently started playing with hickory clubs about a month ago. I switch back an forth and its more gratifying to play hickory because they are harder to hit and when you flush one it’s like nothing else. I can still shoot under 40 for 9 holes with hickorys but i do play forward tees because the ball doesnt travel as far. So much fun.

Haha! Love the comment about never playing hickories again. I'm the opposite, switched to hickory clubs six years ago ago and never went back to modern clubs. I love working my way around a golf course the way the course was designed. Can't blow drivers over fairway bunkers and hazards, etc. More strategy needed and a really good short game. Mind you I am a senior golfer so deep inside I've admitted that that option of bombing over things is long gone. Haha

Played hickories in Scotland, Kingarrock Golf Club, loved it!

Like most things, golf has evolved. The R&D in golf has been tremendous. If the technology makes the game more fun, then great. What I’m not a fan of, is the technology forcing courses to be longer. There’s all kinds of problems with that; from environmental to economic. I have no problem with technology making the game easier to play. I just don’t think it needs to be scaled up. The ball can be dialed back.

As somebody who followed the thread Peter ran for multiple years and 3 iterations of the course designer software that he went through to get everything as well as he did from the plasticine model and pictures, this is as close as its going to get. Doak took the height maps from the PGA2K21 release of LIDO and converted it to a GPS data that the GPS controlled bulldozers could then build to the exact same specs as in the game. This course is truly remarkable and having played it a couple hundred times now virtually I can't wait to get out there and play it myself on the non member days.

My golf glove stays on the entire round. I can’t be bothered to keep taking it off and putting it back on. Over the years I’ve not noticed a difference one way in my putting. I also prefer to use rain gloves year round.

Love the celebration on the birdie. Cherish the moments!

Just getting back into golf after 10 years. Just regripped my aeroburner ❤

You just make really good videos. Thanks.

I actually wear my glove when I putt, it just feels right to me for some reason. Good vid as always, cheers bro.

if there's no range and you're not playing for money, a breakfast ball is always available on the first tee for anyone in the group and there's no debating it lol

I play in scotland every year and always play a few rounds with my hickories they are so much more fun to play on links courses than traditional clubs…if you have the possibility try a set preferably on a sandy soil links style course

Back when Taylor Made came out with the Burner Bubble, my friend was so proud of his. He was not pleased to se me smoking it past him with my hickory driver from Ben Hogan Golf.

excited to see what The Lido looks like next year when it opens and the new course at Sand Valley in 2024, hopefully, it won't be private but we'll see. Was just at Sand Valley in August for a 3 Day | 5 Round Trip

If you can adapt to the much softer shafts, the putter in the hickory set probably requires the biggest adjustment. Greens in that era were a lot shaggier and putters were designed with more loft to get the ball on top of the longer grass.

I would argue your par on the first hole was due to the mulligan 🙂

terrific looking course!

WOW, what a wide open layout. Such deep history.

Being able to golf... Is Priceless.

I'm jealous. I knew it was the Lido from the picture.

“The price of golf is higher than you want it to be; but lower than the value you receive from the game.” Love that

breakfast ball off first tee only allowed if there was no range warm up

I want a persimmon wood in my bag hey. Respect for the classic times :-)

I wish there was more courses that had hickory to play probably do better then the soccer golf

Nice job. I assume you are using a modern ball? Cool video.

"I constantly think about Chick-fil-A on Sunday." ...I thought I was the only one

They did have golf gloves in the day of hickory golf. Some were fingerless (Only went down part way to the first knuckle)

I use my dad's Ping Eye irons. I have used woods and got a driver for my birthday. Yeah, my clubs aren't new and up-to-date but I don't care. I love my clubs and have fun when I got out. Of course I want to get better but hell, as long as I'm out with my brother-in-law and our friends it's a good day.

I never like to give myself breakfast balls because then I feel like I'm lying to myself about my actual skill. One shot is nothing (especially at my handicap), but then when I hit scoring milestones I never quite feel the same satisfaction knowing that I didn't *actually* score what's on the scorecard. Maybe it's just a pride thing for me haha. That's my take, but if you're golfing with me and wanna take free mullys and breakfast balls then more power to you. As long as we're not doing league play or we agreed to it before making a bet then I couldn't care less.

Yes u get a breakfast ball…..my first driver was a real wooden head and I still remember the sound was the best. And the balata golf balls felt the best. This was in 1989, also the trick is not to over swing it

Would love to see playing hickories but with the conditions they would have played in then.

A little generous with the double bogey, that putt wasn’t a gimme, IMHO.

Shank you very much.

Breakfast ball depends on whether or not the course has a driving range. If yes, and you hit before your round, No breakfast ball. If they don't have a range, definitely a breakfast ball. If they have a range and you choose not to use it, no breakfast ball. If for some reason you aren't able to hit at the range, maybe you get a breakfast ball.

Erik, could you please give us the name of the bag you used, and where did the hickories come from---thx much!!!

I like switching around from my hickories and moderns. I'd like to play hickory all the time, but just miss the forgiveness and length too much.

If i were to ask someone to narrate my biography, it would be Erik 😵😵

So this was filmed in august with the glove just coming out? Which I didn’t get one UNFORTUNATELY, gone in like 30 min. 🙃😢❤️

Eric, how do you like your, Evnroll putter? Was it fitted?

If it's off the first tee, it's fine. Just say you're forfeiting the round and starting over 😆

I get the artistic choice for the sepia tone filter, but it gave me a headache

I've always noticed you wear many different shoes from golf shoes to non-golf shoes. Do you feel like you actually ever feel a difference? Any favorites?

I agree with the breakfast ball.

How big are the Lido greens?

breakfast ball = it's your score card! enjoy your day out

Hickory and a breakfast ball...yeah, brother. I approve that msg.

Any idea what golf shoes those are .? Looked like some gfore’s to me

I hit my wooden Ping as far as my modern Taylor Made. And my swing is better now.

Nostalgia is fine but innovations are better. Golf is easy good golf is hard, pop open the beer and enjoy easy golf everyday.

Tell us about the bag!

I do be thinking about chick Fil a reliably on sundays lmao

You get a breakfast ball. You should never take one to improve a shot that's just ok, but if you shank it on your first swing then take another. I think of it as a benefit to being honest with yourself (and your scorecard) moving forward.

Come to the original lido on Long Island, it is still around….

Microsoft Windows screensaver at 10:20!

That was almost really good. It also wasn’t bad. 😂

Mate I took two breakfast balls the other week 😂

Breakfast ball off the first is a standard. Swing away!

Need to play an older ball. The balata balls from the 1960s are a great pair to hickories. That being said, will lose even more yardage from the ball change than the club change

Did he put his bag on the green?

Not a gimme 11th sorry not sorry😅much love bro

It’s a challenge

Is metal organic? Organic is when there is carbon present, so maybe?

Lidooo woa oh aooh oh ooh aooh!

It would be even more interesting to see era correct balls.

No breakfast balls in my group. We are always playing for money. I think that's the difference. If it's a casual round, no big deal unless you go on to post a scoring record for yourself. If that happens, you will know in the back of your mind it wasn't honest.

I wanna get a real set of hickory clubs so bad

EVERYBODY gets a breakfast ball!!

Have to say, we've seen Eric hit modern clubs, I would have liked to see him suffer more with the mashies and the persimmons!

Forget the "breakfast ball" how about cleaning up that 3 footer and paying some respect to the 6 those clubs earned you?

Wait why will he never ride a motorcycle again?

Anyone else distracted by the faux vintage film effects? It irritates me when these type of effects are used. At least here, it kinda makes sense, since he’s using vintage clubs.

Your "modern" smash-ball method will not work with hickories. You must learn to let the club do the work. It takes time to acquire the right shafts for you, so don't expect miracles; also, you need to use a low compression ball otherwise shafts will soon break.

If I was to play Hickory it would be on a course pre 1940. Those courses were shorter and designed around shorter golf clubs. Playing an old course with modern clubs seems like cheating.

Chit... don't add up what it cost to bass fish.

Can't tell the difference when you shank every shot

You sound like Dave portnoy

You should always have breakfast.

But, when you beat the 3 other guys in your foursome with Hickory...it's soooo much sweeter.

"Mature" flex? Is senior forbidden now?

Just watching you walk the course reminds me how long I have to wait for walkers at the green. Should be illegal. Ridiculous.

Most of these weren't hickory. They were persimmon.

Go to the dentist yall

Only Jesus can fill the void in us. This game is awesome and fun. It can teach us so much. It will never fulfill your soul. Hit it straight and trust in Him.

Can you get your videographers to get some lenses so they can stay out of frame? it really kills the feel when they are just standing there in some shots. You used to have some of the best production in youtube golf. please go back to how it was.

great video proving why modern golf is so boring. as soon as novelty clubs are removed, and golf isn't just a tech assisted drive and wedge, modern golfers, pros included, cannot score...most, like this guy, can hardly hit the ball square! those clubs you love so much were developed for HIGH handicap golfers...and the elderly!! hahahaha that's why they are so easy to hit. pros used to be required to hit precision equipment...that is what made them pros. hackers, like this guy, are ok playing novelty equipment designed for old men, because it hides their mishit shots, and boosts their delicate egos... but this equipment has no place in professional and tournament golf...in fact, it has ruined the sport and filled it with cry babies who can't hit the ball square!