Old Man Par Golf

Golfer James Braid – Won The Open Championship 5 Times

2022-11-09T16:36:18Z

A Five-Time Champion Golfer of the Year: Golfer James Braid

Golfer James Braid

James Braid is a member of the Great Triumvirate along with Harry Vardon and John Henry Taylor. Braid was born on February 6, 1870, at Earlsferry, Fife, Scotland and he passed away on November 27, 1950, in London, England. Braid is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame.

James Braid won the Open Championship (the British Open) five times, although he got a slower start on winning this championship than Vardon and Taylor. By the time Braid won his first Open Championship in 1901, the other two members of the Great Triumvirate had already won three apiece.

Scotsman Braid was a tall and strong man who hit the golf ball considerably longer distances as compared to his fellow competitors. It was his putting that held him back from winning the Open Championship. That changed when he found a putter that seemed to have magic in it for him. With the putter change, Braid’s putts began finding the bottom of the cup. Championship wins soon followed.

After the 1900 Open Championship, James Braid gave up on his wooden-headed putter when he discovered a putter with an aluminum head. This putter felt good to him. His new aluminum-headed putter effectively (Or magically!) made the cup larger for Braid as he gained more confidence in his putting skill. Braid’s putts began to drop more and more consistently and now he became a dominant championship golfer. Rival John Henry Taylor said, and perhaps to his chagrin, after Braid began using the aluminum-headed putter, “I have yet to meet the player who could hole the 10-yard putts with greater regularity.”

Championships came to Braid after he changed his putter. He went on to win the Open Championship in 1901, 1905, 1906, 1908, and 1910. With this record, James Braid was the first golfer to be the Champion Golfer of the Year five times. Later, both Peter Thomson and Tom Watson accomplished the same record of winning the Open Championship five times. Thompson in 1965 and Watson in 1983.

After retiring from competitive professional golf, Braid became a golf course architect. He designed or contributed to the architecture of over 200 golf courses. His Championship course of Carnoustie in Scotland is probably Braid’s masterpiece. Carnoustie continues to challenge golfers in our time. Braid authored, “Advanced Golf, or, Hints and Instruction for Progressive Players” in 1911.

James Braid’s Golf Swing

James Braid Describes the Keys to His Grip

Perhaps your grip will improve by studying and using techniques of James Braid’s grip. Remember, Braid was a long hitter so following his grip tips may help you to increase your distance.

* “The left hand. – The left hand is well over the top of the shaft.”

* “The thumb is against the side of the shaft, not on top.”

* “My grip is very tight with all fingers.”

* “The right hand. – The club lies in the joint of the first finger of this hand.”

* The two first fingers grip the club.”

* “The little finger rides on the top of the first finger of the left hand.”

* “The thumb lies rather over the centre of the shaft.”

* “The left thumb is pressed against the side of the shaft by the right hand.”
Note: See Plate No. II.

* “The whole grip must not be so tight as to stiffen the muscles of the forearms.”

* “The reason for the overlapping of the little finger is to make the grip as one-handed as possible, and it insures both wrists working better together.”

Plate No. I Shows Braid’s grip at the top of his swing.

Plate No. I Shows Braid’s grip at the top of his swing.

Plate No. II shows the part of Braid’s right hand that presses on his left thumb.

Plate No. II shows the part of Braid’s right hand that presses on his left thumb.

Plate No. III has Braid’s right hand open somewhat so you can see the position of his left thumb and hand.

Plate No. III has Braid’s right hand open somewhat so you can see the position of his left thumb and hand.

My Personal Thoughts Regarding James Braid’s Grip

* Braid had his left thumb slightly right of the center of the shaft and his grip was tight in all the fingers. However, his grip was not so tight that it would “stiffen the muscles of the forearms.”

* Braid used the Vardon Overlapping grip. He said the purpose of the little finger of the right hand overlapping the index finger of the left hand was to “make the grip as one-handed as possible.” This is a hallmark of the Vardon Overlapping Grip. A good golf grip unites the hands so they work together as if one.

Source Note:
The quotes and images about James Braid’s grip are from the book: “Great Golfers,” by George Beldam with contributions by Harold H. Hilton, J. H. Taylor, James Braid, Alex Herd, and Harry Vardon. This book was published in 1904 and is now in the Public Domain.

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Harry Vardon Dominated Golf In The Hickory Shaft Era

2022-11-17T16:22:06Z

Harry Vardon – A Golf Champion of Olden Times

Born: May 9, 1870
Died: March 20, 1937

Harry Vardon is a golf champion of olden times who played in the era of hickory golf club shafts. He is one of the greatest golfers of all time. Vardon’s record speaks as proof of this, he won seven total major championships. Vardon won The Open (British Open) a record six times, and the United States Open once. Over his golfing career from 1896 to 1920, he won 41 other tournaments.

Harry Vardon

Golf has fortunately been blessed at different times with three great golfers who reigned superior to all others in their era. Byron Nelson, Sam Snead, and Ben Hogan dominated their era, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, and Jack Nicklaus their era. Harry Vardon, John Henry Taylor, and James Braid were the three dominating golfers of their time. Vardon, Ray, and Braid are called the Great Triumvirate. As an indicator of their golf prominence, all of these nine golfers are members of the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Harry Vardon had an advantage over many of the golfers he competed against. His swing was modern, powerful, consistent, and accurate while some of his competitors perhaps had more unconventional, wilder, and unreliable swings as compared to Vardon’s. Harry Vardon had a golf swing with similar fundamentals common to today’s top golfers. These modern swing components are readily visible in Vardon’s swing. Vardon’s swing was smooth and upright, and he repeated it time after time. Harry Vardon was known as a shotmaker when the hickory shaft was the state of the art in golf technology, and while the gutta-percha golf ball transitioned to the rubber core golf ball.

Vardon was able to play shots depending on the demands of the golf course and the particular shot required. Vardon could play his shots either high or low, with a fade or a draw, or straight, and with all of his golf clubs. Other top golfers of Vardon’s era had these skills too, but Vardon excelled with his ability when he played at the top of his game. If Vardon could come back and play golf in our time, he would adapt his swing to our modern shafted clubs of steel or graphite and to our golf balls. Vardon had the mind of a golfing champion and it would lead him to success.

Harry Vardon – British Pathe Video

Harry Vardon’s Overlapping Grip

Harry Vardon’s Overlapping Grip – Two Views

A legacy of Harry Vardon is the Vardon Overlapping Grip. In this grip, the little finger of the right hand lies on top of the index finger of the left hand for a right-handed golfer. This grip unites the two hands into one strong unit. The Vardon Overlapping Grip is like a single big hand on the club instead of either the right or left hand taking over the other and diminishing the effectiveness of the swing. Although Vardon was not the first to use this method of gripping the club, his golfing success popularized the grip. The Vardon Overlapping Grip or a close adaptation of it is used by most golfers today.

Harry Vardon’s Record:

Seven Major Championships

The Open Championship (British Open)
1896 – Muirfield
1898 – Prestwick Golf Club
1899 – Royal Saint George’s Golf Club
1903 – Prestwick Golf Club
1911 – Royal Saint George’s Golf Club
1914 – Prestwick Golf Club

The United States Open
1900 – Chicago Golf Club

Forty One Non-Major Tournament Wins

1896
Pau Golf Club Invitational
Cleveland Golf Club Professional Tournament

1897
Wallasey Golf Club Open
Southport Golf Club Open

1898
Royal Musselburgh
Prestwick Professional Event
Windermere Golf Club Invitational
Norbury Golf Club Invitational
Carnoustie Golf Club Professional Event
Earlsferry & Elie Golf Club Professional Event
Royal County Down Professional Event
Barton-on-Sea Invitational
Royal Lytham & St Annes Professional Tournament

1899
Great North Scotland Rail
Mid-Surrey Professional Event

1901
Mid-Surrey Professional Event
Glamorgan Golf Club Invitational

1902
Lord Dudley Invitational
Leeds Cup
Edzell Golf Club Open

1903
Richmond Golf Club Invitational
Enfield Golf Club Invitational
Western Gailes Golf Club Invitational

1904
Irvine Golf Club Open

1905
Montrose Golf Links Open

1906
Musselburgh Tournament
Tooting Bec Challenge

1907
Blackpool Park Golf Club Invitational

1908
Nice Country Club International
Costebelle Course Invitational

1909
St Andrews Tournament

1911
Tooting Bec Challenge
Bramshot Challenge
German Open

1912
Cooden Beach Golf Club Open
News of the World Match Play Championship

1913
PGA Southern Section
United States Open Qualifying

1914
PGA Southern Section
Cruden Bay Golf Club Professional Tournament

1920
Bramshot Invitational

Note: Harry Vardon was an international tournament golfer. Countries where he won include: France, England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Germany, and the United States of America.

“Relaxation, added to a few necessary fundamental principles, is the basis of this great game.”

…Harry Vardon

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Bobby Jones Quotes About Gripping the Golf Club

2022-11-17T16:24:49Z

Bobby Jones Quotes On the Golf Grip

Good golf begins with a good grip.

The only way you are connected with the golf club is by your grip. How you grip the club greatly influences your swing. A correct golf grip gives you the freedom to swing the golf club with the most power and precision that you possibly can. A bad golf grip will hurt your chances of making consistent good contact with the golf ball. In these quotes and the accompanying video, Bobby Jones explains how to correctly grip the golf club.

Bobby Jones in 1917.

“The left hand must be placed in a position of power, to some extent on the top of the shaft.
As I grip the club, I can see three knuckles of this hand as I look down upon it.” 1
…Bobby Jones

“The right hand approaches the shaft in this way, with palm to the front, and grips the shaft in the fingers.” 2
…Bobby Jones

“The grip must be positive, but never tense. The firmest pressure is exerted by the three smaller fingers of the left hand. The grip of the right hand is very light.” 3
…Bobby Jones
Note: The three smaller visible fingers Jones refers to in this quote were the last three fingers of the hand.

“The little finger of the right hand aids compactness by overlapping the index finger of the left, but the fingers twine around the shaft providing an ample spread to make manipulation of the clubhead easy.” 4
…Bobby Jones

“When addressing the ball, the player places his hands upon the club in a definite position, and in that position they must remain.” 5
…Bobby Jones

“A strained grip upon the club tenses the muscles in the forearms and tends to stiffen members that ought to be supple and active during the stroke; but the grip may be firm without introducing the least bit of rigidity in any part of the body.” 6
…Bobby Jones

“The right wrist and arm are the primary means of supplying speed and imparting force culminating at the ball. They should therefore remain relaxed throughout the stroke. Let us simply say that the left arm must keep the swing on track; the right hand must be responsible for timing and touch.” 7
…Bobby Jones

“The grip of the left hand should be arranged so that the shaft lies diagonally across the palm but is held mainly by the fingers. At the position of address, the club should rest upon the middle joint of the index finger of the left hand, but the most positive part of the grip of this hand should be exerted by the two smaller fingers and the middle finger.” 8
…Bobby Jones

“A correct grip is a fundamental necessity in the golf swing. It might even be said to be the first necessity, for a person must take hold of the club before he can swing it, and he must hold it correctly before it becomes physically possible for him to swing it correctly.” 9
…Bobby Jones

Bobby Jones Explains The Golf Grip

Playing Lessons With a Master – Part 1 The Grip

Bobby Jones Quotes Sources:
1. Bobby Jones and Ben Crenshaw, Classic Instruction, p21;
2. Bobby Jones and Ben Crenshaw, Classic Instruction, p22;
3. Bobby Jones and Ben Crenshaw, Classic Instruction, p24;
4. Bobby Jones and Ben Crenshaw, Classic Instruction, p26;
5. Bobby Jones, On Golf, p6;
6. Bobby Jones, On Golf, p6;
7. Bobby Jones, On Golf, p6;
8. Bobby Jones, On Golf, p7;
9. Bobby Jones, On Golf, p8;

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The Golfer’s Creed by David R. Forgan

2022-11-17T16:28:10Z

The Golfer’s Creed by David R. Forgan

I’ve had the Golfer’s Creed by David R. Forgan framed and hanging on a wall for many years. From time to time I will pause and read it again. I don’t know how many times I have read the Golfer’s Creed. Each time I do read it, I’m reminded of why I’m a golfer. Golf is the greatest game.

Golfer’s Creed

It is a science-the study of a lifetime, in which
you may exhaust yourself but never your subject.

It is a contest, a duel or melee, calling for
courage, skill, strategy and self-control.

It is a test of temper, a trial of honor,
a revealer of character.

It affords the chance to play the man, and
act the gentleman.

It means going into God’s out-of-doors, getting close
to nature, fresh air, exercise, a sweeping away of the
mental cobwebs, genuine recreation of the tired tissues.

It is a cure for care-an antidote to worry.

It includes companionship with friends, social
intercourse, opportunity for courtesy, kindliness
and generosity to an opponent.

It promotes not only physical health but moral force.

–David R. Forgan
Scotland, 1899

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Old Man Par

2022-11-17T16:31:28Z

Bobby Jones vs. Old Man Par

Bobby Jones, circa 1917.

Robert Tyre Jones, Jr. (Bobby Jones) met with disappointment early in his golf career. As a youngster and his early adulthood great golf accomplishments were expected of Bobby Jones. However, it took him seven years before he won a major championship. Jones was frustrated.

Bobby’s success in major tournaments started when he developed a philosophy for how to play golf. He learned to play against the golf course, to make it his main competition and not the other golfers he was competing against. Bobby Jones knew that his greatest competitor was Old Man Par.

Success followed with his new attitude of competing against Old Man Par. Overall he won thirteen major championships and he won all four of the major championships of golf in 1930. His 1930 major championship wins included the United States Open, The Open Championship (British Open), The United States Amateur, and the British Amateur. This achievement is called the Grand Slam of Golf.

After his Grand Slam year of 1930 Bobby Jones retired from competitive golf when he was only twenty-eight-years-old. Jones then helped to design and found the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia and he co-founded of the Masters Tournament.

The following Old Man Par quotes were collected from the book, Down The Fairway by Robert Tyre Jones, Jr. by my late father, Richard F. Allen. This website is named OldManParGolf.com because it is a good way to play the game of golf, compete against Old Man Par. It’s how my dad played golf and it’s how I play too. Read what Bobby Jones says about Old Man Par and see if his idea of how to play golf won’t help you.

“No man will ever have golf under his thumb. No round will ever be so good it could not have been better. Perhaps that is why golf is the greatest of games. You are not playing a human adversary; you are playing a game. You are playing Old Man Par.

“Old Man Par, the imperturbable economist! Make a friend and constant foe of him, and the other boys won’t be so rough on you.

“Old Man Par is a patient soul, who never shoots a birdie and never incurs a buzzard. And if you would travel the long route with him, you must be patient too.”
– Robert Tyre Jones, Jr.

Note: A “buzzard” is an old term for what we now call a double bogey.

Note: The modern day Grand Slam of Golf would be winning all four of the major tournaments (the Masters, the United States Open, the Open Championship (British Open), and the Professional Golfer’s Championship.) in the same year.

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