A couple of weeks ago, I was finally able to get out to the course and play a full nine holes with my borrowed set of 1965 golf clubs.  After a successful jaunt on the range (as seen in my previous report & video), I felt somewhat confident that I wouldn't embarrass myself on the course. 

Beyond that, I was not sure what to expect. 

No amount of preparation on a fake turf range with rubber tees can prepare someone for the rigors of a round of golf with unknown clubs.  Further, my trip to the range didn't afford me an opportunity to practice with the pitching wedge.  In the interest of keeping this challenge as authentic as possible, I only carried a pitching wedge during the round.  No gap wedges.  No sand wedges.  Although having the sand iron would not have been unrealistic for the time period, I simply didn't have one with the set.

Standing on the first tee - a 325 yard par 4 - I quickly realized that my 21st century strategy could not apply.  Normally, I would try to drive the green, chip on, and hope to make birdie.  That really wasn't possible with these 20th century relics.  Still, I swung away with Palmer-esque abandon and power.  The result was half-decent and got about 25 yards of extra roll thanks to a cart path encounter.  A chip and two putts later and I was feeling good.

The next hole is an awkward one.  It's a 530 yard par 5 with a tee shot over an environmental junk area, not quite resembling what Liberty National sits on top of.  I striped my drive.  Too well.  I landed in the left hand rough with a second shot that gave me fits.  It set the hole off for me.  Eventually, I made double bogey 7 when I had to chip backward out of tree trouble.

But at the green was my first glimpse of how lob wedges make golf easier.  Facing a fifth shot in the rough two yards off of the green, I had no chance to stop the ball on a downhill path to the hole.  Not even a decent stub could stop the ball.

Shaking it off, though, I went to the first par 3 - a 160 yard scamper over some more unmaintained hazard.  Problem was that I still lack distance control with these clubs.  In an effort to not deposit my ball in the hazard, I overclubbed with a six iron.  Ten yards aback of the green and again facing a downhill chip, I was doomed to bogey.

The accompanying video picks up at the fourth hole, a tree lined par 4 measuring about 370 yards.  Hitting a passable drive down the middle left me with a decision from 145 yards.  8 or 9 iron?  I chose 8 and chose wrong.  I barely hit the back of the green and could not two putt for par.

Moving on to the par 5 fifth hole was the real moment of truth with the driver.  Although just barely 500 yards, the drive is over a couple hundred yards of weedage.  And I couldn't meet the challenge.  As my drive hooked into the hazard, I felt pretty dejected.  How was I going to face this hole with no fear with these clubs?  With my modern driver, I could belt the ball nearly a hundred yards past the trouble and not think twice about it.  With nothing more than steel and worn persimmon in my hand, this hole became a lot testier.  Were it not for a nice up and down, I would not have made 7.

Coming to a little relief, the 130 yard par 3 6th was a respite from my fading confidence.  It is a straight forward, open hole.  Avoid the trap to the right and it is smooth sailing.  After a light 9 iron into the green, I comfortably two putted for par.  Maybe - finally - I could get this thing on track.  The strange thing is, though, that I was actually playing one shot better in this round than my last effort here.  I played the final three holes in -1 to card 42.

The video action picks back up at the short-ish par 4 7th.  Another hole that measures just over the 315 yard marker, the green is guarded by a large pond short and right.  Also, the green complex is tilted 45 degrees against the fairway.  Having not had much success with the driver, I took my chances with the 5 wood.  Great choice.  240 yards later, I had a wedge in my hand and a scoring chance.  Problem is that I failed to execute the three-quarter shot needed to make certain par.  The  hazard got in my head.  Normally, I just drive the ball as far as I can to the left and try to make birdie.  Again, with the power out of my game, I blinked.  A three putt once I reached the green in three lead to a double bogey.

The final two holes were pretty unremarkable - standard bogeys after missing the green first long then hole high to the right.  The light at the end of the round, though, with my chip to the par 3 ninth green.  Hole high, from an awkward downhill lie, on the wrong side to miss, I hit a beautiful chip just into the rough to kill the speed and land six feet from the hole.  Too bad I rammed the par putt over the cup for 45.

The end result of 45 could have been a whole lot better.  Were I able to get over my newfound, self-imposed technological handicap, I would have scored at least four strokes better.  Making better club choices and swinging with more confidence may have even gotten me under 40.  The number under the total column on the card did not look pretty, but I left encouraged that I can master these sticks in time.

As the seasons are changing now into autumn, my experiment in the way back machine will continue with a full round to see how I do.