Vintage Equipment Event for the PGA Tour?

[Jack Watson]

I like the idea and I believe the players would LOVE it.

[saevel25]

For one event, yes.

[Club Rat]

Maybe as an Exhibition Event during the winter season.
I doubt many players would be willing to participate.
There's no money to support Vintage equipment for starters, not to mention an paying audience.
I doubt the PGA would pay or foot the bill for TV cost, or find sponsors willing.

[David in FL]

What a great way to screw up their real game.  I'd be surprised if any players had much interest at all in playing such an event.  Well, maybe some low tier guys would play, knowing that top players would avoid it.

If you want, you can find reruns of Shell's Wonderful World of Golf on TGC just about every week...

[colin007]

57 minutes ago, saevel25 said:

For one event, yes.

I agree.

I think some of the younger guys would be up for it, like Fowler and JThomas.

[iacas]

I'd watch. So would many others here, but we're so dedicated we're here talking about golf on a forum. The casual golfer probably wouldn't care.

But it won't really ever happen. Not in any "volume." Totally counter-productive to the players. The good ones like the status quo, the bad ones nobody cares to watch.

And time spent "prepping for" or "learning" the "vintage" gear is time not getting better at the way golf is actually played in the 21st century.

[Buckeyebowman]

That's a point! I'd enjoy watching today's players trying to hand hickory shafted clubs and featheries, or even Gutta Perchas! That would be all kinds of fun! But I don't think you'd get too many at the top of the money list to sign up.

[mvmac]

Yes I'd watch because it would be interesting to see but I disagree the pros would love it, especially the medium to short hitters. They certainly wouldn't the love the prep of having to figure out the different equipment. If they had an event like that I don't think many of the top players would play, it's a lot of adjusting for not much reward. 

[billchao]

I voted "don't care" but I'd probably watch a little bit. Probably not even a whole day, certainly not a whole tournament.

As others have mentioned, this event wouldn't attract the best players and the players who would play aren't geared towards the equipment they'd be using, so you're not even getting a good example of what a tour player today could do with vintage equipment.

[Vinsk]

It’s just more of the, “I just won’t admit this game is incredibly hard” nonsense to me. “Oh yeah? Well let’s see these pros who think they’re so good hit ‘real gear’.” It’s all nonsense. They’re that good. Period. @Jack Watson, you’re not. Whether it be hickory or space age titanium. Let it go. You’ll never ‘figure golf out.” Ok sorry. I’m done.

[RussUK]

I voted "no". Reason being there is/are sanctioned events and tours (e.g. Michigan Hickory Tour) and some are even shown on Sky Sports. They even have the Trilby Tour. This is a real amateur tour where the main stipulation is that you have to wear a trilby hat (i kid you not).

Like many have said, the tech is soooooo different that it is more likely to be detrimental to their regular game that anything other than 9 holes or so for charity or exhibition wouldnt be worth it for them.

That being said, some older pro's have switched largely to hickory golf with a lot of success. Sandy Lyle for instance won the hickory World Golf Open in 2014 and 2016. Still plays modern gear but in interviews says he enjoys the old stuff more.

Difference is that Sandy isn't competing at the very top of the sport these days.

[cutchemist42]

I would watch, but I dont see it happening.

Maybe a 3-hole exhibition??

What would be the definition of vintage? Would we include lob wedges?

[joro]

For some reason most think that it would be stone age.      I  hit many 300 yd Drives in my time with Persimmon and Balata, today that combo feels like Mush, but in the day it was great.    The sound and feel was great off the Driver and not the tinny sound of today but a solid Thwack.      The Irons weren't much different with the big change coming with PINGs design and of course todays string lofts.    My Eye2 PW was 50 degrees, my Wilson C200 today is 44 degrees.     The game name is distance.     But Wood was not that bad.

[Denny Bang Bang]

Yes, I’d watch and think it would fun/interesting to see (and do myself, frankly). I agree with others, maybe as an off season or one round (or 9 hole round) prior to a bigger event type of thing (similar to the Par 3 at the Masters)

[1badbadger]

They tried this concept on the Professional Bowlers Tour, and it was a huge hit with players and fans.  It would be a cool change-of-pace.  I always liked the week they used the modified stableford scoring system too.  Not something for every week, but one week a season isn't going to mess up anyone's game.

[iacas]

5 hours ago, 1badbadger said:

They tried this concept on the Professional Bowlers Tour, and it was a huge hit with players and fans.  It would be a cool change-of-pace.  I always liked the week they used the modified stableford scoring system too.  Not something for every week, but one week a season isn't going to mess up anyone's game.

Big difference between modifying the scoring system and changing the equipment.

[jamo]

It could maybe be fun as a silly season event. I'm not sure I'd actually watch because I don't watch silly season events as they are now, but it would definitely be interesting to read about.

[joro]

Damn, it was't that bad.   You guys talk like they used a rock on the end of a tree branch.