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I am not sure where to start...should I start with Jones' favorite clubs or his most hated club. Oh...lets go negative.

As I mentioned above J Victor East of Spalding measured each of Jones clubs and determined that he had a perfectly matched set, with the exception of his George Nicoll Mashie Niblick. Jones after hearing this remark commented that the damned club had costed him many troubles over the years.

The Mashie Niblick was a club that was to be used from 100-120 yards from the hole. In Jones' own words the mashie niblick cost him the 1923 US Amateur. With the club he had no confidence and would miss green after green.

Jones would go on to say, "I'm more likely to be near the pin from the longer range." A comment as to why Jones preferred longer courses , as to limit the amount of mashie niblick and niblick shots...120 yards and in.

Not all of Jones' memories of this club were all bad. He did remark that the George Nicoll Mashie Niblick (pictured below) saved him in the 1926 US Open at Scioto. Jones was one stroke down to Joe Turnesa on the 15th hole from 120 yards. Jones hit a solid mashie niblick and got up and down for his birdie to narrow the gap and secure his first major of his career.

Another story of a club that haunted Bobby Jones was that of his niblick (wedge). Jones as mentioned in the previous blip preferred longer irons to shorter ones. This was evident in Jones' first British Open when he was paired up for the first round with his idol...Harry Vardon.

Jones preparing for a simple pitch shot with his Hendry and Bishop Niblick bladed it! The ball rolled through and off the back of the green. Jones recalled this moment as his most embarrassing on the golf course. As Harry Vardon walked by Jones, Jones remarked, "Have you ever seen a worse shot than that?" (Clearly trying for humor). Harry Vardon's response was brief and to the point, "No."

This very same niblick was the at least part of the reason that Jones walked off the course tearing up his scorecard before he finished his second round. On a windy day, Jones' game abandoned him and he was 12 over par in the mid-second round. Jones hit his ball in one of the very deep bunkers at St. Andrews and tried over and over to get his ball out with this niblick. Once he finally managed to get the ball on the green he picked up his ball and quit.

Not all was lost though...many years later Jones hit a beautiful niblick approach during the 1930 US Amateur which stopped dead on the hole. That shot was the shot that closd out Jess Sweetster and laid his path to the Grand Slam.

Lets talk about the best shot Francis Ouimet had ever seen. Francis Ouimet a close friend to Bobby Jones, and you might remember his own story if you have seen the movie or read the book, The Greatest Game Ever Played, Francis was following Bobby Jones in his final round of the 1923 US Open at Inwood CC. Jones had up until this point not lived up to the hype. He had played well in majors but just couldn't seem to win.

That was abount to change with one daring shot. Jones had just pulled his driver into a vast bunker 200 yards from the green. Jones was running out of holes and was tied with Bobby Cruickshank for the lead. Jones facing a bunker shot, and a carry of 200 yards over water chose to play his Tom Stewart 2 iron. It was a huge risk. If he missed he would miss out on yet another major championship. Jones took no time making the decision, lined up and swung like a golfing god. His ball cleared the lip, went over the water and stuck six feet from the hole. The birdie all but locked Jones' first major championship...the 1923 US Open.

Francis Ouimet called the shot, "the greatest shot he had ever seen."

The next story is one of Bobby Jones' 4 iron. The club was given to Jones by a friend and professional golfer James A. Donalson. He was a professional out of Chicago, but his friends called him Jimmy. Jimmy gave this club to Jones, a club from his own bag, which contained James A. Donaldson stamped on the back.

Jones loved his long irons and he had as much love for his 4 iron as any. His 4 iron played a roll in the Grand Slam, buit prior to the Grand Slam it helped him secure the 1928 US Amateur.

Jones was facing off against Ray Gordon in a very early round (match play). Jones playing neck and neck with Gordon badly sliced his tee shot into the high trees on the right side of the fairway. Jones used an earlier image from his boyhood to play out the shot. Many years prior Harry Vardon had been engaged in a match at Jones' home course at Eastlake with Stewart Maiden. Vardon facing a similar shot used his 4 iron to hit a 190 yard shot over the trees and onto the green for the win. Now Jones summoned up all of his skill and repeated the feat. Most everyone in attendance thought it impossible, but with a steep swing and extra torque Jones pulled off the shot and the victory...all with James A. Donaldson's 4 iron.

That very same 4 iron would play a pivotal role in the 1930 Britsih Amateur. Jones had never won the British Amateur prior, it was the only major eluding him. All sqaure playing the Road Hole, the 17th, both Jones and his competitor Cyril Tolley played their tee shots. Jones hit a slight hook which left him an awful look at the green, while Tolley was in perfect position. With Jones far left he would have to lay up or manuever around the Road Bunker. Jones signaled ahead to the marshals to move the crowd away from the left side of the green (an impossible line). No one in there right mind would take that line to the hole. Jones challenged the Road Bunker and played a decisive 4 iron, which struck a bystander who had not listened to the marshal. The ball bounced off the spectator and up to the green...pin high. Perhaps the 4 iron had a little luck afterall. The spectator thought maybe Jones had tried to play off him, but was reminded that Jones asked the crowd to be moved.

Jones of course went on to win his first British Amateur and the first leg of the Grand Slam.

Jones' Mashie Iron played no important role in the Grand Slam but it did help him secure two other Major Championships.

During the 1926 US Open Jones played a magnificent Mashie Iron to 20 feet to seal another Major Championship.

Then again at the British Open at St. Anne's on the 17th Jones was playing stroke for stroke with Al Watrous. Jones hit another splendid Mashie Iron under pressure to 20 feet and then sunk the putt as he often did when he needed it.

The George Duncan Special Brassie played a funny role in the 1930 US Open. It was the second round of the 1930 US Open at Interlachen CC when Jones faced a shot over a looming pond on the par 5 ninth hole. Jones pulled out his George Duncan Brassie as the wind was hitting him in the face.

Spectators had crowded al around Jones, as remember there were no ropes to seperate the players from the bystanders. Just as Jones reached the top of his swing two little girls ran out from the crowd, and Jones flinched!

Jones half topped his Brassie and the ball shot for the pond. What happened next would be called Jones' Lily Pad Shot. The ball skipped across the water safely to the other side.

Many bystanders commented that the bal struck a lily pad, but there was no truth to hit. Just like skipping a rock across the water, Jones caught just enough of the ball to send it skipping across the pond for an eventual birdie.

There are too mant stories to tell, so I will end with this one. The story of the Walter Hagen Concave Niblick (wedge).

The club was given to Jones by Horton Smith after losing to Horton in a tournament held in Augusta, Georgia. That Horton Smith gave the club to Jones may be interesting. Perhaps more so is that Jones discovered a fruitland nursery right down the road from the tournament, which he took Horton Smith to go see.

That nursery would later become Augusta National, which as we all know holds the Masters. What few of you may know is that the act of kindness which Horton showed to Jones after his victory, was to be returned 4 years later when Horton Smith became the first winner of the Masters.

Truth be told Jones only took three shots with the Walter Hagen Concave Wedge in the four majors that year, and all three of those swings were in the United Kingdom.

The first swing was at a crucial moment in time. It was the 1930 Britsih Amateur finals. Jones once again was faced with a pivotal hole on the Road Hole 17th. This time however he found himself in the Road Hole Bunker. The Road Bunker is a killer even today...ask David Duval...but it was even worse back then when the flange had yet to come of age on the sand wedge. Jones all but buried up to the top of his head, where no spectators could see him from across the green used his Hagen Concave to hit a brilliant bunker shot to two feet!

An old caddy standing next to none other that Francis Ouimet told him that it was the finest shot he had ever seen executed. That sand save bought Jones another two holes, as the match went into a one hole playoff which Jones won.

Just two weeks later that very same niblick helped Jones secure his third British Open title and the second leg of the Grand Slam. Going for the green on the 16th at Hoylake, Jones hooked his shot into the greenside bunker. With an odd stance of one foot in the bunker and one foot out Jones hit the ball with his Hagen Concave Niblick and nearly holed it! Stopping two inches from an eagle. The birdie would be the nail in the coffin and Jones would once again take home the Claret Jug.

The Walter Hagen Concave Niblick was banned the very next year in 1931.

I said I was done and I lied. In 1926 Bobby Jones on a trip to Scotland for the Walker Cup, Britsih Am and the Open Championship stopped upon the shop of Tom Stewart.

Tom Stewart was considered the greatest iron maker in all of the world. His clubs were used by the who's who of great golfers in his day.

In that day Jones took in his trusted clubs and asked Stewart to make him copies of each of his clubs in case they were ever lost or stolen. Tom Stewart did as Jones asked, making molds of his clubs and making an exact duplicate set.

What Jones did not know for some time was that Stewart kept those molds, and for a very brief time reproduced those clubs in very limited numbers and marked them with Jones' initials...RTJ (Robert Tyre Jones). No one knows how many sets were made, but we know they were in very low quantity, because when Jones found out he wrote a letter to Stewart asking him to cease, as Jones was afraid of losing his amateur status.

I am very fortunate to own two matched sets of Tom Stewart RTJ's. Matched meaning they have never been broken up. It is my belief that I may be the only person on this planet with two matched sets, as their may be only five total in all the world. One set I play on a daily basis, the other set is in better shape and has every club that was ever made in that run...12 clubs.

The photo below contains 9 of the 12 clubs in that remarkable set.

How are the swingweights on the Tom Stewart RTJ's that you play? Are they matched a little better?

To be honest with you...my 12 club matched set I have never checked the swing weights, but my play set RTJ's I have corrected the swing weights so that every club is a D2. In some cases that meant switching for a heavier shaft, in other cases switching for a lighter one.

I'll be honest with you. I played this Jones Grand Slam Set a couple of days ago and it was fantastic. It may well become my number 1 playing set, despite its value.

Amazing collection. Many photo-printing Websites offer an option to make a hardover book with your pics and narratives. I bet you'd cherish something like that as you I'm sure you cherish these clubs.

Here is one photo of Jones' clubs at Merion, the 4th leg of the Grand Slam in 1930.

The shrine to Bobby Jones' Grand Slam has begun. I have decided to dedicate an entire room to Jones' accomplishment in 1930. I will update Stracka with photos for any of you who are interested in seeing how the room changes over time.

This evening I set up the first display of Jones' Grand Slam set of clubs with a photo and autograph of Jones taken during his 1930 run on the history books.

In the next month I am hoping to add framed black and white photos of Jones playing in each major of 1930. Perhaps some artist prints of Jones etc etc...

If you enjoy seeing a golf room take shape then this might be interesting...if not...I apologize.

I will do my best to make the display museum quality for all of you golfers who love history.

Another awesome piece of information, thanks!

I should have new photos posting in about a week. I just added some black and white photos of Jones competing in the 1930 British Amateur, the US Open and the US Amateur.

I have to say that ya'lls fascination with hickory clubs etc. to me is akin to Civil War Reenactments. BUT.... This is extremely impressive work, and for what its worth I am impressed and look forward to more about all this as it develops. Hurrah for those of you who keep history, and more importantly the details of the history in golf going with such fervor. My hats off to all of you involved in these things and LyinLewis has first place by far.
Again, my honest appreciation for some well done work here.

HeartoTexas...its funny that you mention that because a client of mine made a simuliar comment.

She had seen an article in the newspaper about me, she wasn't a golfer so she asked me about the fact that I play hickory over modern clubs and that I play in hickory tournament all across the world.

Finally she said..."oh so you're kind of like a Civil War reenactor"

I was devistated...pardon any of you who actual take part in such endeavors but that is not what I do.

Hickory golf is not about reenacting famous matches, or famous tournaments. No one plays a part...or says "I'm Walter Hagen and your're Bobby Jones." We just play golf like any other tournament...perhaps better dressed and in some cases with better etiquette, but its golf just the same.

No worries...I did not take your comment as an insult, but rather an opportunity to explain. I suppose my golf collection is much akin to a Civil War Collector's collection, except my weapons are golf clubs rather than weapons.

I promise you that you have not truly enjoyed playing golf until you played a round with 100 year old clubs. Bobby Jones shot a 66 in a British Open qualifier at Sunningdale and it was considered to be a perfect round of golf. While my best hickory round is a mere 73, I can attest that a 73 with hickories feels like a 65 with modern clubs.

Thank you for your kind words. I am glad you enjoy some of my commentary...I know its not everyone's cup of tea.

One last note...while the game of golf is losing its popularity in the United States, hickory golf is growing in double digits. Last estimate is in the thousands of hickory players...most part time but none-the-less hickory golfers.