What's a Persimmon Driver?

That's the question that Meaghan Francella asked when she was asked by Golf World when was the last time she hit a persimmon driver. We assume she gave that response in jest.

When was the last time you hit persimmon? Or, for you youngsters out there, have you ever hit a wood actually made of wood?

The last time I hit a wood wood was as recently as 2004, maybe 2005. It was a 7-wood made by Louisville Golf, the last company still making persimmon clubs as anything other than a novelty.

The last persimmon driver I hit was a Wilson that I carried until about 1990, maybe 1991. Around that time my buddy switched to a TaylorMade metalwood and, for the first time ever, began outdriving me. Well, that just wasn't going to stand.

So I finally went metal. My first was a Magique that cost around $180. That was a lot of money for me to spend on golf equipment back then. But it was worth it. I figured if I was going to spend that much money, I better learn how to hit the fairway. And for the first time, I spent significant amounts of time on the range, working on my game. And soon enough, I was pounding that Magique (my friends called it "the Magic Chef") long and straight. For about 18 months, it was the best driving of my life.

Then the head flew off and it's been downhill ever since.

I'm reminiscing because of that Golf World article, one titled "Recalling wood woods." Unfortunately, it's not online yet, but it's in print in the March 21 issue.

It notes that Tiger Woods still breaks out a persimmon driver in practice rounds. That Phil Mickelson last hit a wood wood during practice for the 2007 Byron Nelson. And the article includes these fun facts:

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• 1997 was the last year on the PGA Tour with a "significant" number of persimmon drivers in play -- 11 golfers used persimmon in 43 tournaments among them. Justin Leonard and Davis Love were among the last holdouts, and they switched that year.
• Bob Estes was the last PGA Tour member to give up wood, playing with persimmon until 2001.
• And Mac O'Grady used a persimmon driver at the 2004 B.C. Open, the last time a real wood driver was used in a PGA Tour event.