Henry-Griffitts irons just might be the last new set I own

If you follow my writings as zealots follow Gospel updates (have not seen very many over the past two thousand years, sadly), you know that I have undergone a conversion of sorts to personalized club fitting. After years of clubs purchased off the rack, I decided that my 5 feet 9 inch frame, equal parts legs and torso, was in need of some personalized attention (read: my clubs are made for someone 1.5 inches taller and have always been too darned upright!)

I journeyed south in October to Pennsylvania to visit the closest Henry-Griffitts teacher/fitter I could find. His name is Corky Buckham (named after St. Corky of the Wine Stopper, I presume) and he is a gentleman’s gentleman. He cares for the pro shop and the membership at Penn Hills Golf Club in the city of Bradford, home of the Zippo lighter. Long story short: the 45-minute fitting session I anticipated topped out at 3 hours. It would have gone longer, save for darkness and a bit of rain. Needless to say, you get way more than you pay for. I am supposed to return in the Spring for a follow-up fitting, to tweak any necessary elements.

I had intended to write a third installment on the clubs before the snow flew, but two events preempted my best of intentions: the snow flew and I was retained for two weeks by jury duty. I didn’t mind the former and I was enlighted by the later. My report on the clubs is a living document, a work in progress, an unfinished opus. The evidence I can present are two 18-hole rounds, two outdoor short game practice sessions and three dome full-bag practice sessions. Here goes…

Round 1…18 holes at Byrncliff Resort, south of Buffalo. Score: 76. Fairways hit: lots. Greens hit: enough. Putts hit/made: fewer than usual (meaning I didn’t have to hit that many since I made the majority of my first ones.)

This was the honeymoon round, the one that I knew I would have. I like Byrncliff and know its foibles well. I actually hit a cart-path aided 400-yard drive on the 7th, but missed the green with a 9-iron, chipped and two-putted for par. Those things happen, especially when you are out of your comfort zone. Come to think of it, I missed the side of the green I aimed toward, meaning I aimed poorly!

In closing, the irons were terrific, the driver was utterly dependable and the putter was smoking. If all I needed was 1 round to evaluate these clubs, you’d all have them in your bags by now.

Round 2…18 holes at Arrowhead Golf Club, east of Buffalo. Score: 81 from the tips. Fairways hit: plenty. Greens hit: a satisfying amount. Putts hit/made: more than Round 1, sadly.

This was the hangover round. Even though I was incredibly reliable from tee to green, I couldn’t make any birdie putts until late and didn’t save the par putts as I did at Byrncliff. Guess what? Keep giving a guy lots of birdie and par putts and he’ll start to make them. I tend to fiddle with my putting grip a fair amount, so I anticipate going cross-handed with my H-G putter at some point, just to mix things up.

Outdoor short game sessions…I’ll be honest, the wedges are the most difficult adjustment. I was playing Ping Tour-W wedges until I got my H-G set and I loved those wedges! The H-G wedges set up just as nicely, yet seemingly drift rightward (is that starboard or port?) on their own. It seems an aiming ‘o the face adjustment is needed to correct this.

The one shot I want to tell you about is the drive I hit on 14. This is a 330 yard hole with water and reeds all down the right side and O/B tight on the left. The hole angles right (not a dogleg, simply an angled fairway) and has two or three greenside bunkers. The simple, expected and safe play is 4-iron to the fat part of the fairway and wedge to the green. With nothing to gain and everything to lose, I had only one notion: can I trust my new H-G driver? I aimed that sucker at the green, started the ball over the edge of the water, and drew it back in the five yards necessary to find land. I had an awkward little pitch to the green (about 40 yards away) but didn’t much care. I had tested and trusted and pulled it off!

Indoor Practice Session: These have been so good, I can’t count them. It really doesn’t matter what club my man Friday puts in my hand at the Paddock Dome; I hit the crease in the liner every time. Low draw, low cut, high draw, high cut, extra lag—I’m feeling it every time! In fact, I’m feeling it so much that I’m going to do something in 2010 that I haven’t done in many a year: compete.

Thank you, Henry-Griffitts.