Old school golf

For some golfers, the modern game just isn't challenging enough. So, they play the game the way it was originally designed -- with hickory clubs.

"Hickory Golfers" often spend more time comparing their clubs, which were built from the late 1800s to the 1930s, than they do actually golfing.

Pro Mike Stevens has played with every type of golf equipment you can imagine. Now he plays exclusively with his old wooden clubs. Mike even won the National Hickory Golfing Championship in 2005.

"I just find this particular game much more interesting. The modern game just got dull to me, there wasn't as much variety in shots. It's just more fun to me," Stevens said.

The fun lies in the challenge. Kody Kirchhoff knows immediately if his shot is "off" golfing with hickory clubs. He says modern clubs are more forgiving.

"When I miss my target on my iron and I miss it by half an inch on a modern iron the ball maybe loses 5 to 10 yards. If I miss it by an 8th of an inch on a hickory iron, who knows where that ball's gonna go?"

Mike and Kody even dress the part, wearing the formal golf gear from that era. They also enjoy playing the golf courses with history like Babe Zaharias Golf Course in Tampa.

The men hope to organize a tournament in the Bay Area this November they expect would draw hickory golfers from all over the United States.

For more information on "Hickory Golf" in Tampa Bay, contact Kody Kirchhoff at kodykirchhoff@gmail.com or Mike Stevens website: www.mikestevensgolf.com