News

Ogden CC golfers celebrate club’s 100th years

Ogden Standard Examiner
By Jim Burton
Posted:  04/19/2014 11:49 PM
It’s not like they didn’t know it was coming; shoot, they had 100 years to prepare for it.
Still, from the pristine bench near the second tee it was clear many of the guys who came through Saturday afternoon didn’t quite know what to make of the hickory golf clubs and vintage-style golf balls being used for the Ogden Golf and Country Club’s season-opening tournament.
Given that 2014 is the OGCC’s centennial year, getting it started the right way was of utmost importance. Consequentially, organizers got the grand idea to take the men’s league back to 1914, when golf technology grew on trees.
Mind you, while there’s definitely a throwback atmosphere around the OGCC these days, the 17 foursomes on the course Saturday thankfully weren’t subject to “old time” golf on every hole.
Nope, just on No. 2.
That’s where head professional Craig Sarlo had vintage clubs and balls laid out for members to use  on the relatively easy 132-yard par 3. That’s also where he had three boys decked out in period clothing setting up feather-style balls on sand tees.
“I feel like it’s 1914,” said caddie Garrett Steed, 13.
Garrett along with buddies Holden Iverson, 13, and Hudson Iverson, 12, appeared to be wildly entertained by all that was going on. Not only did they get to hear old guys say some really interesting words, they got to watch them swing even older clubs.
As boys that age often do, they giggled as some of the men came through telling funny stories and using funnier words.
Between foursomes, I wandered over to the tee and asked them if they were having fun.
Oh yes, they said.
“Sounds like some of these guys are saying funny stuff, huh,” I asked.
They snickered.
“Great stuff,” someone said.
He was right, it was.
Although nobody seemed too upset at having to swing those antique clubs, it was interesting to watch as groups came through. The guys would walk up to the tee, smile at the caddies in their vintage duds (borrowed from the Weber State theater department) and grin at the old technology.
A few of the groups had no idea what to make of the sand tees, which were nothing more than little mounds of sand and water.
The guys would then set up and swing away, only to find out the balls were really light and remarkably heavy, all at the same time.
Asked how it felt to make contact, one member said, “It felt like I was a hundred.”
Often one playing partner would turn to another and ask, “So, what was it like to play with these clubs a hundred years ago?”
That sort of question would lend itself to a colorful retort, which would lead to a few more giggles from the boys.
Lest anyone think the OGCC’s Greens and Fairways tournament was nothing but foursomes using four-letter words, it wasn’t. It was a really fun event … some might even describe it with another four-letter word: Cute.
See also, “cool,” “neat” and a “hoot.”
Not only was Saturday a great day for golf it was an especially great day for golf at the OGCC, where the hilly, treelined grounds were well manicured and there is a palpable sense of pride for its 100th birthday.
It will host Utah’s men’s and women’s state amature torunaments later this summer and the place is already buzzing.
Too bad they can’t play those state am events with hickory sticks and feather balls. It certainly would add an element of fun.
At least it did on Saturday.
Jim Burton is the Standard-Examiner’s sports columnist. He can be reached at 801-625-4265 or at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @StandardExJimbo